Wild
by DarknessAhead
Summary: Spencer is a young German shepherd, a stray dog living in the city. He's been on his own for a while after his mother died and tries to survive. His mother always used to tell him stories about Weed, the Ginga Legend, and Spencer's biggest dream is to meet Weed and the pack one day. Together with other stray dogs he starts a journey to meet Weed, and to become true wild dogs.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**  
><em>''I was born in a litter of three pups, my brother, my sister, and me. Our mother was a German shepherd, I'm not sure about my father's breed. We were born on the street. Yes, we were street dogs. My father… my father was caught and brought to the pound, my mother told me, but that was all she has ever told me about him. I've never met him, never seen him before, I don't know his name nor his breed, nor my grandparents or anyone else that involved my father.<em>  
><em>We were born during late winter, our mother was ill. When we were around four weeks old she died and my siblings and I were left on our own. It was a hard world; no one took us in, no single dog adopted us into their pack of strays. We were doomed to die. Until the humans came.<em>  
><em>My siblings were adopted by humans, but I was the only one being left behind. I don't know why, probably they didn't like me, or I wasn't nice-looking enough because I was a mutt, maybe. But then again, so were my siblings. I still don't know the reason why I wasn't adopted, and I probably will never get to know.<em>  
><em>How did I survive, you might think. Let's say there was this old dog, I can't remember what he looked like, but he took me in and cared for me until I was six months old. He made me street wise, taught me all sorts of things on how to survive, until he died of old age. I was six months old, he was ten years old. It was a big difference, he could have been my grandfather, maybe even my great grandfather, but I liked to call him… dad. Because he had been there for me, because he was the only father figure I had ever known. He was a real sweetheart, and I still miss him.<em>  
><em>I'm now one year old, yes, a yearling, and still roaming this world on my own. I'm a loner, a packless loner that survives by eating the scraps from trash cans humans leave behind. Sometimes I steal from humans and pet dogs, just to make sure I get myself fed enough. It are hard times, really hard times.<em>  
><em>Though, I've always had hope, because my mother used to tell me and my siblings stories when we were only a few weeks old. She told us about this huge pack of stray dogs living in the forest, completely free from humans, hunting together like wild wolves, like they really are wolves. The pack of <em>_Ōu, in the Ōu Mountains in Japan, lead by the great tora-ge dog Gin, which later on passed his leadership on to his son Weed, who was a tora-ge dog just like him; a silver coated dog, covered in stripes.__  
><em>_Why do I keep hope, you ask? Well, my mother always told me these stories were real, a true legend. And my wish is, that I will one day stand next to their alpha, and be part of the Ōu pack. I want to become part of them, I want to be a true wild dog. Not a stray, but a wild one. I will find them someday, and then I will finally be a true wild dog.__''_


	2. Chapter 1

Lonely, lonely but not sad, that was this very particular dog. The German shepherd mix ran through the street, a bone in his jaws, a barking and growling dog running after him, which was much older and much bigger than him. The yearling dog quickly ran into an ally and jumped onto a trash can, making his way over the wooden fence parting the two alleys. During his action he made the trash can fall; the older dog chasing him was unable to follow him any further, and he stayed behind cursing at the yearling.  
>The yearling, named Spencer, finally ended up in an abandoned area, occupied by no one but himself. He yawned and laid down, laying the bone safely between his front paws. He looked at it satisfied, licking his lips and ready to dig in, but a loud noise and some muttering caught his attention before his jaws could bury themselves in the delicious meal.<br>''Huh?'', he mumbled to himself, getting to his paws. He wasn't sure if someone would come and take the bone he had just stolen, so Spencer picked it up and took it along, looking around the corner of the alley to see who it was that had much such a loud noise.

''Hello? Who's there?'', Spencer asked as he stepped into the alley, the bone now lying in front of his paws. He saw something move near a fallen trash can; a small curly tail sticking out of it, a big fat butt, like it was a very spoiled dog. At least, Spencer thought it was a dog, he had never seen such a tail before in his life. ''Who are you? Hello?''  
>''What!?'', suddenly an annoyed and low male voice spoke, and the weird animal in front of Spencer made his appearance, coming out of the trash can and turning so that the two could meet each other's eyes. It appeared to be a little fat dog, with a cream coat and a black snout and black floppy ears, it's tail in a weird curl. He wore a red collar, so it <em>had<em> to be a pet dog. The dog looked at Spencer with an enormous grumpy expression, his brown eyes staring straight into the yearling's soul. ''What do ya want, ya mutt!? Get lost! I'm getting myself here some scraps, 'kay? Get out of my territory!''  
>Spencer tilted his head to the side, eyeing the odd looking dog confusedly. He sat down, staring down at him. This dog was much older than him, yet so much smaller, it looked like a pup, yet it had the expression of an adult dog. Or was he becoming a senior already? He had many wrinkles, but maybe that was part of his breed? Spencer wasn't really sure, so he cleared his throat, ready to address this strange dog.<p>

''Um… mister? Mister? Hello?'', he asked, listening to the annoyed muttering from the older dog that went back into the trash can to search for more food. ''Mister, what kind of dog breed are you? Where do you come from? Why are you here on the street searching through trash while you have a collar? What's your name?''  
>The dog got out of the trash can again, staring irritated at the yearling and he huffed, shaking his head with a sigh. He muttered to the kid: ''Dang, do ya never stop babbling? I'm a purebred pug, I'm from a home, with humans, etc., I ran away from home because I couldn't take it anymore. That's why I still have this collar my humans gave me. Oh, and my name is William. Are you done asking now?''<br>Spencer looked confused at the dog once more, narrowing his eyes to look at the collar around his neck, getting a clearer view of it.  
>''But your collar says… Mr. Puggy?'', he said, a giggle leaving his throat. ''Mr. Puggy, really?''<br>''Look, kiddo. They called me that, I hated that name. I'm William, end of story!'', the pug responded with a snort, growling at Spencer. ''Now shut up and let me be! I need food… Food.''  
>With those words he returned to searching into the trash can for a meal. Spencer looked at him, watching him in silence, his tail wagging slightly. He then reminded himself of the bone he had caught and looked down at him, his cheerful expression slowly changing into a sad one. But if he wanted to have this dog as a companion he could trust, he maybe first could help him out.<p>

''Hey um, sir.'', he began, glancing back at the curly tail sticking out of the trash can. The pug came out once more, looking irritated at him. ''Do you want this bone?''  
>He put his paw on the little snack and eyed the pug who called himself William. This dog stared at him and then at the bone, before looking back up at the German shepherd mix again. He slowly crept forward, like he really wanted to have this bone, yet he didn't really trust the yearling. Stopping just a few feet away from Spencer he looked up at the yearling again, realizing he was kind of drooling over it, and he quickly cleared his throat.<br>''Um, well, yes… thank ya?'', he mumbled, just loud enough for Spencer to hear, who wagged his tail with a happy look on his face. ''But why?''  
>''Well, you need food, I need a companion, or maybe more.'', Spencer said and the pug frowned, glancing up at him with an uneasy look in his brown eyes.<br>''Sneaky little thing- blackmailing me now, aren't ya?'', William responded and Spencer just simply nodded, the cheerful smile not leaving his face, his tail now wagging with true excitement. ''Okay fine, let's make a deal. Ya give me that bone and learn me how to catch some food myself, and I will accompany ya and tell ya stories. Deal?''  
>''Deal!'', Spencer said smiling, nodding his head. He lifted his paw from the bone so William could snatch it away. Laying down he began to chew on it, now and then staring up at the yearling uneasily, because the kid was watching him as he fed himself. Kind of unnerving.<br>''So?'', William asked finally, looking up from the bone he was devouring. Spencer looked back down at him, awaiting the dog's next words. ''What's yar name, kid?''  
>''I'm Spencer.'', Spencer responded and William snorted, a chuckle escaping his flattened snout.<br>''Well then, nice to meet ya, Spencer. Maybe some meat next time will be good? Great, looking forward to my next meal.''


	3. Chapter 2

The two dogs walked through the streets, their eyes at the horizon, their jaws shut. William walked in the front, his chest puffed out forward and a grumpy expression on his face like always; even though William was only a small, fat pug, he acted like a dominant leader, something Spencer had to get used to.  
>The two walked in silence until suddenly Spencer stopped and stared at the smaller dog in front of him, a question wandering into his mind. He began to walk faster, catching up with William to end up next to him. he smiled at him, his tail swaying behind his body.<br>''Hey William, do you have a goal in life?'', he asked and William looked back up at him, a frown on his face, like he didn't understand the question. ''I mean, have you ever heard of the dogs of Ōu? My mom used to tell me stories about them, she said they are a pack of wild dogs, living free and hunting like… like wolves!'', Spencer continued, his voice becoming louder, higher, he was truly excited about those fairytale dogs. However, William was soon going to pop his imaginary bubble of excitement and joy.  
>''Listen kid, I've heard about those stories. But they're just stories, fairytales. Those dogs aren't real, Ōu isn't real. It's just a very famous bedtime story for pups.'', the pug said coldly and he looked at the blue sky before looking back at the dog next to him. ''Listen, kid, yar a yearling now. Ya should know by now those stories aren't real, live the life of an adult stray dog, or ya won't survive. Got it?''<br>''So you don't believe in the stories…?'', Spencer asked, his ears pressed against his head, a sad expression in his blue eyes.

''Nah, I don't believe in those stories, they're not real, after all.'', William responded and he snorted annoyed. ''Stupid pup's stories…''  
>Spencer looked at the ground, sighing in sadness. he had his tail tucked between his legs and his ears pressed against his skull as he walked, ending up behind William again who lead them through the streets.<br>However, suddenly William stopped and Spencer bumped into the small dog, almost crushing him with his paws. Looking down he saw how the small curly tail of the pug raised slightly (however, this was almost impossible because of it being curly) and he frowned.  
>''What's wrong, William?'', the yearling asked and he went to stand beside the smaller dog again, trying to find out what was wrong, but William looked up at him and already told him the answer.<br>''There are other dogs nearby, do ya hear them? Sounds like fighting.'', the pug said and he walked towards the sound of barking and growling, Spencer quickly followed him, a bit unsure about the situation. ''Fighting often means there's a territory or food involved. If there's food, we can secretly stalk into the area and snatch away some of the meals while they're arguing about it.''  
>Spencer grinned and William's words and huffed, winking at him afterwards. He said cheerfully: ''You are quite the eater, aren't you? Do you never get enough of food?''<br>''Shut up, my owners spoiled me, that's why I'm so fat. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't eat so much. Guess my stomach has grown during the time I stayed with them.'', William snarled back at Spencer and the yearling chuckled, adding to his last words: ''Your stomach isn't the only thing that has grown; dang you're fat.''

He heard William huff at his words, but the dog decided to ignore him after all, making Spencer end up silent, just like William wanted him to be. The two sneaked around the corner of a street and went into an alley, off towards the sound of the fighting dogs. When they peered through a hole in a wooden fence, they saw what the arguing was about; it was indeed about food.  
>Two dogs were fighting, growling at each other, biting each other, snapping at each other, drool dripping from their jaws and their eyes filled with anger and hate. It were a big Doberman dog and a Dalmatian dog, both seemed to be the leader of both a different pack. And in the middle lay the food, the reason for their arguing; it were fresh sausages from a butcher nearby, attached to each other with a string. ''Ooooh, that smells good. Spencer, go get it.'', William said and Spencer perked his ears in shock, looking at the little dog with dropped jaws.<br>''What, me? Why?'', he asked and William looked back up at him, muttering: ''Because yar stupid, that's why. Now go get it.''  
>''Hey! But you're smaller. You can easily sneak past them and get the sausages yourself.'', Spencer responded. However, William had a clever remark, making fun of himself by using Spencer's jokes about his weight.<br>''I'm too fat to fit through this hole here, and I'm too small to jump over the fence. Ya might not fit through the hole, but yar big and light on yar paws. Now, go get 'em boy. Go fetch~''  
>Spencer sighed in irritation and snorted at the little dog, nodding, but he wasn't very much agreeing with the pug beside him.<br>''Fine, I will go, but I will get most of the sausages. After all I'm the biggest here, and I still need to grow~ And, I do all the work here while you sit on your butt and act lazy.'', He responded and William groaned, looking away from the yearling.

Spencer looked at the fence and took a few steps back, running towards it and resting his front paws on the top, pulling himself up and jumping over it. He landed on the other side of the wooden fence, straight in the territory of one of these two packs. He had to be careful, or else he would probably get in trouble.  
>The mutt sneaky walked past the arguing dogs, hiding in their shadows as he made his way towards the sausages. When he reached them he carefully grabbed them with his teeth, pulling them from the ground and sneaking backwards, his eyes on the other dogs to make sure they didn't see him.<br>However, it was too late, as one of the dogs in the area, a female Labrador, smelled him and looked his way, barking at him to alarm her fellow pack members.  
>All of a sudden both packs were working together, running towards Spencer and snapping and growling at him, they lured the yearling into a corner, his hind pressing against the stone wall. On his left side were the walls of a house, on his right side was the wooden fence he had crossed not too long ago; he was stuck, with the food clamped between his jaws. The dogs got him.<br>The first one to come closer to him and address him was the Doberman, his sharp teeth sparkling in the sunlight, his brown eyes filled with anger. Even though his tail had been clipped off, probably by a former owner, Spencer could see the dog had its tail raised in dominance and aggression.  
>''That's our food, give it back!'', the snarled and Spencer shook his head, his eyes filled with fear. ''Give it back kid, you don't want to get hurt, right? Drop it!''<p>

Spencer turned his head to look at the hole in the fence, seeking for help and support from his companion, but William only looked through the hole, his big amber brown colored eyes almost poking through it because they often seemed to pop out of his head. ''Drop it kid!''  
>Spencer looked back at the Doberman, finally letting go off the sausages. The meat fell and hit the ground and suddenly all of the dogs just burst in on the meat, attacking each other for it. The Doberman growled angrily and snarled at the hungry dogs, biting some of them to warn them. ''STOP IT! YOU ARE ALL FOOLS! Get out of the way!''<br>Pushing other dogs aside he moved closer to the meat and stepped before it, making sure the sausages were protected by his paws. He growled a few more warnings at the dogs behind him before looking at the frightened Spencer again. ''You.'', he began and Spencer swallowed, shivering all over his body. This Doberman was way bigger than him, almost two times his size; Spencer was completely terrified. ''You tried to steal this from us. Look, I know you're hungry, we're all are, but stealing is wrong, isn't it?''  
>''But you stole this from the butcher, didn't you?'', Spencer responded with his clever words, looking the dog straight in the eyes. ''You say stealing is wrong, yet you stole this from the butcher. This means you're wrong… And by the way, how can we survive if we don't steal? There's no prey out here we can catch, we gotta live by stealing. Am I right?''<p>

The Doberman was silent for a moment, a long 'hmmm' leaving his closed mouth, the rumbling hearable within his throat. His ears were now slightly lowered, same for his clipped off tail. The dog looked Spencer up and down, his brown eyes narrowed. ''Am I right, sir?''  
>''You're a clever little fellow, you know that? I like you.'', the dog finally said and a short chuckle escaped his throat. ''You seem alright, and yes, you're right about that. But one thing.'' The dog continued to speak, bringing his face closer to Spencer's, his eyes narrowed once more. ''You better watch your own mouth, because one day your clever remarks might cause the end of your little life.''<br>The dog lifted his head again, looking down at the cowering Spencer; the kid was acting bold, but he was still really scared. ''What's your name, kid?''  
>''I'm… Spencer, sir.'', Spencer responded and the Doberman huffed, looking the kid up and down again.<br>''You seem alright… Spencer. You can call me Boss, that's my name. I'm the Alpha of this pack.'', he spoke and Spencer looked around him, eyeing the dogs one by one; there had to be at least twenty dogs; it weren't two packs fighting for food, it was one pack fighting each other for it. Spencer and William were truly outnumbered.  
>''I'm Spencer… and my friend is called William. He told me to go fetch the sausages.'', Spencer said, trying to sound bold. His intention was to get William into the picture as well, so that Spencer himself wouldn't be blamed for this chaos all alone. And his plan worked, because from the other side of the fence he could hear the little pug raging.<br>''Hey! I told you to go fetch it yes, but not to speak your mind!'' the dog snarled, his eye popping through the hole in the fence again, followed by his whole head, but nothing more was able to be squeezed through the hole.

Boss looked the pug's way, scanning the dog's posture before he grinned and started laughing, stamping with his paws. He said loudly, addressing all his followers: ''Look over there! Look how fat he is, and so small! And you call yourself a street dog? you have a collar!''  
>Before William could rage all over the Doberman dog called Boss, he was grabbed by his red collar and pulled through the hole, squeezed and crushed.<br>''Ouch OUCH! Ey! Knock it off or I will knock some sense into ya, ey!'', the pug snarled as his fat body got painfully moved through the tiny hole. ''EY! STOP!''  
>Boss pulled him out and dropped him on the ground. For doing this he received an angry snap at his paws. But even though there was now a small cut in the Doberman's paw, he didn't move a muscle as he looked down at the little dog.<br>''You have a collar, you are no stray dog.'', he said again and William growled up at him, showing his sharp little teeth as he yelled back: ''I left my owners not too long ago, they spoiled me too much, I hated it, I wanted to get out of there, that's why I left!''  
>Boss frowned, looking down at him before looking at Spencer who was still pressed into the corner, a bit frightened. His brown eyes went back to William and he snorted, grinning slightly.<br>''Once a house dog, always a house dog. You will never learn what it's like to be a true street dog, a true free dog. you aren't free, you're tied to your collar, and soon enough your owners will come to get you back.'', he then responded, laughing again. William snorted and moved over to stand in front of Spencer, to protect the kid. as he stood there growling he muttered under his breath: ''No manners…''

''Boss, sir, you aren't true free dogs.'', Spencer suddenly said and Boss looked at him, frowning once more, but this time there was curiosity in his eyes.  
>''What did you say? Why not?'', he asked, waiting for the yearling's response. Spencer straightened his posture and moved out from behind William, staring up at Boss. ''Why, kid?''<br>''You are street dogs, you live on the streets and are therefore indeed street dogs, so are I and William, but we all survive by stealing food from humans. This makes us simple street dogs, no free dogs. Free dogs are wild and run through the woods, they hunt to survive, they don't steal. True free dogs work together, they are like wolves.''  
>''He speaks nonsense! We are true free dogs! We are free and wild!'', one of the dogs said, standing behind Boss, crushed by the crowd of street dogs. But Boss didn't respond to that one dog, he simply looked down at Spencer and nodded to his words; he agreed with the kid's statement.<br>''This boy is right, we are just street dogs, not wild. Wild dogs live in… the wild. We steal, wild dogs hunt like a pack of wolves. Just like the pack living in the Ōu Mountains. He's right.'', he said and Spencer's eyes widened. He moved forward to Boss, so he could look the Doberman straight in the eyes.  
>''You believe in the pack of Ōu!?'', he asked, shock in his eyes, but soon enough excitement was written all over his face. Spencer wagged his tail and his tongue rolled out of his mouth, he yipped happily, cheerfully. ''How do you know about them? Tell me all about it!''<p>

''You heard of them before, too? I guess your mother told you their legend, didn't she?'', Boss asked and Spencer nodded. William huffed annoyed, mumbling under his breath that he didn't believe those stories. Boss looked at him and shook his head, sighing. ''Look, William, right? Those stories are indeed stories, but they're based on true events. My mother told me the stories of Gin, Weed's father, when I was young. I didn't know about Weed's legend yet until I heard stories about him around a year ago. But those stories are true, all street dogs believe them, all street dogs look up to these two dogs, these two warriors. Every leader wants to become just as great as Gin was, and as Weed is now. Those stories are truly real, and you better believe them or I will make you believe them.''  
>His last words sounded angry, like a snarl and William looked up shocked, taking a few steps back and hiding behind the younger, yet bigger Spencer. Spencer was still wagging his tail, happy and hoping to hear more.<br>''I heard all stories about Weed, like how he lead a pack of dogs to help his farther Gin, and on the way they fought dogs of Hougen's army who had kidnapped Gin and tortured him! And how Weed fought Kaibutsu! And how in the end he attacked Hougen and let him go instead of killing the dog off, winning the battle and becoming Ōu's new Alpha!'', the yearling yipped excitedly and Boss chuckled, nodding at his words. ''But I've never heard stories about Gin before. Tell me! What did Weed's father Gin do!''  
>''Oh no, we don't have time for pup's stories, kid. We need to get food. Now come and let's go, I'm hungry.'', William said, refusing to hear more of these dog's nonsense stories, but Spencer shook his head and pushed William away with his paw, looking back at Boss with big puppy-like eyes.<p>

''Gin was born as a pet dog and trained to become a hunting dog just like his father, Riki, who is Weed's grandfather. However, one day they went on the hunt for Akakabuto, a deranged bear. Gin wanted to help but almost ended up dead, if it hadn't been for his father Riki saving his life. But saving Gin's life meant giving up his own and Riki was tossed into the deep by Akakabuto, falling off a cliff. That was the day that Riki's owner took in Gin and trained him to become a hunting dog just like his father.'', Boss began, his words echoing above the silent pack. It didn't take long before from corners of other streets more dogs appeared and listened to the Doberman's story about the great former leader of Ōu. ''Gin lived with Riki's owner for several months, but stayed Daisuke's true pet all that time. It didn't take long however, that he left his owner to join a group of stray dogs. These dogs were all brought together to fight against the bear called Akakabuto and Gin felt himself called towards these dogs because his father had been killed by the deranged bear. Upon joining him he found out the pack's leader was his own father, Riki, but the dog had completely lost his memory and didn't remember a single thing about his son. This didn't stop Gin from fighting against this bear, however, because on his way to recruit new members for the battle, a made friends and earned their trust, turning enemies into friends as well and forming a great army of wild dogs to fight off the bear. Even pet dogs left their owner's side to join the wild dogs and fight alongside them.''  
>Spencer listened curiously, his ears perked, his tail that had been thumping against the ground was now completely silent, laying behind hid body in the dirt.<br>''Then the day came the war begun, and the army of dogs fought against Akakabuto and his minions. It was a long and hard fight and several strong dogs died, even some dogs Gin had been great friends with. In the end Riki got back his memories about his son and his past life as a hunting dog, and attacked the bear in order to save his pack, but he got badly wounded. Gin attacked Akakabuto and killed the bear, saving his father, but it was already too late, for his father a few minutes later died of blood loss. But during those last few minutes alive, he told his son he was proud of him, and announced to his pack that Gin was the new leader of Ōu from that day on.''

It was silent for a moment and Boss sat down, clearing his throat. He then looked down at Spencer again, smiling. ''And that's the story about Gin, from there on you know everything else, because the legend continued on with his son, Weed. Both dogs are great leaders, true wild and free dogs.'', he said, looking at the sky, sighing. ''If only I could meet them one day. That would be a childhood wish coming true. It's still a dream of mine to finally meet them, though.''  
>''Then why don't you go meet them?'', a sudden voice came from behind, it sounded old and the voice cracked a bit. The dogs that had gathered around Boss to listen to his story about Gin, now turned their head to look at the one who had spoken; it was an old dog, with a long grey coat and floppy ears, his eyes were a bright blue and full of life, even though his body looked like it could collapse every minute. ''The Ōu Mountains are a week traveling from here, go up the hills into the woods and you will find the pack in the mountains. I've been there, I've met Gin just after Weed's birth, but he didn't know yet that Weed was born at that moment. I've seen the fights, I was there, and these stories are indeed real.''<br>''Go home old man, no one believes ya.'', William responded, but he quickly got pushed away by Spencer again, who got up and moved over to the old dog, his tail wagging once more.  
>''We can meet them?'', he asked and the old dog nodded smiling weakly. He said to the yearling: ''Of course you can. The pack is big and healthy, there's always a spot for a few more if they want to stay there and become wild dogs.''<p>

''What's your name? You say you were a part of the true Ōu pack?'', Boss asked, getting up and turning around to face the older dog. Now William stood beside him, moving closer, trying to hear what was going on and what was happening. The dog looked Boss' way, simply nodding his head.  
>''Yes, I was a part of Ōu before I left to die alone. You see, I'm an old dog, I've lived for thirteen years, and I probably won't last long… I'm Weston, an Irish wolfhound. At your service.''<br>''Weston,'' Boss began, stepping forward to meet the dog. They were both the same size, so the dogs could look straight ahead and see each other's eyes. ''It has always been a dream of mine… and I know you are probably not planning on returning there after leaving but… are you willing to guide us to their place?''  
>Spencer looked shocked up at Boss and he nodded eagerly as he started to jump up and down, his tail swaying behind his body. This had been a dream of his, too, meeting the two Alpha's of Ōu. He hoped if Weston would say yes, he hoped they could really meet Gin and Weed.<br>''Well um… I indeed hadn't planned a visit to the pack, no. But if you really wish to meet them and probably stay there, then I will be your guide. Are you all good at hunting? If not, then maybe I can teach you some skills. I've got old bones, but I still know a few hunting tricks.'', the old dog said and he laughed, winking at the younger dogs around him. ''Well, what do you say?''  
>''You are rather…. Easy about this subject. How come? I mean, don't you have to tell us the road ahead of us is dangerous?'', Boss asked, looking at Weston with narrowed eyes, but the Irish wolfhound only smiled at him, chuckling and nodding.<p>

''Well yes, it is dangerous, but even though I'm old, I still like a challenge myself. Better die young while you've lived than die old while you've been sitting lazily on your hind all you life, right? And I've know the Alphas, they are great dogs, they are my friends, my family.'', Weston responded, his mind seemed to be somewhere else as he spoke that last sentence. However, he quickly looked up at Boss again, nodding his head as he continued to speak. ''Ōu is not a dangerous pack, they are kind, caring, they respect and protect each other; everyone's family. They won't chase you off if you meet them, they will accept you.''  
>''So you can really take us there?'', Spencer asked and Weston nodded again, smiling brightly at the yearling who stood next to Boss. Then his eyes went to the small pug, his tail wagged as he eyed the three one by one.<br>''Yes I can. It's a dangerous road but it's a fun challenge; it makes you a true wild dog like I used to be before I grew too old. I can be your guide if you wish to meet the Ōu members and join them. Tell me what you want, if yes, then I can bring you there as soon as you are willing to leave.''  
>''I want to come, I want to come! I wanna meet Weed! And Gin!'', Spencer said happily and he looked at William, wagging his tail like crazy. ''Will, come, come with me! You will come too, right?'', he asked and he grabbed William by his red collar, pulling him up and shaking him around.<br>''It's William! And yes, yes! But only if you put me down!'', the pug snarled back at him, kicking with his hind paws. Boss laughed and looked at Weston, nodding, telling the older dog he would come, too.  
>''Then it's set, we will leave as soon as you are able to. Whoever wants to join in, meet me tomorrow in this alley. We will go on a great adventure.'', Weston said and he winked the three dogs in front of him before turning around and walking off. Spencer looked at the older dog as he put down William, who growled at him and snapped at his muzzle. Spencer didn't mind William being so mean, though, because he couldn't get this excited smile off his face.<p> 


	4. Chapter 3

''Hurry up, you're so slow.'', Spencer said as he padded along the road, avoiding humans as they yelled at him and tried to kick him. Spencer didn't really bother though; he had gotten used about humans hating stray dogs, these humans were no difference.  
>Looking behind him he stopped, waiting for William to catch up on him. When the pug finally arrived beside him it collapsed onto the ground and panted loudly, it's fat belly resting on the cold stone. He looked up at Spencer and there was a nervous look on his face, like he wanted to ask the yearling something that he was ashamed of, that would make him appear vulnerable.<br>''C-can ya carry me, kid? I can't take long walks like these…'', he asked, his brown eyes focused on the ground, a dull look in them; he really was ashamed of himself for asking this.  
>Spencer smiled and wagged his tail, turning around so he had a much more clear view of William. He nodded as he stepped forward, lowering his head so his and William's eyes were on the same level, the smile stayed on his face as he looked at the pug.<br>''Of course I will carry you. Why do you have to make such a big deal of this? Everyone already knows you're fat, admit it.'', he said and he grabbed William's collar, pulling him up, while William angrily kicked and squirmed to his last words, growling at the German shepherd mix.  
>''Ya little-'', he began but his words were cut off by the voices of other dogs not too far away from the duo. Spencer looked up, his teeth clamped around the red collar. ''Are those the dogs that are going to meet Ōu?'', William asked and he looked up at Spencer, who look back down at him.<br>Spencer began to walk taking along William as he moved forward. They avoided the humans on the busy sidewalk as they made their way towards the alley where the voices came from.

Upon reaching the alley William and Spencer saw two familiar dogs; Boss, the Doberman dog and the leader of this big dog pack and the older Irish wolfhound called Weston. There were two more dogs with them; a golden coated Labrador retriever with brown eyes and a brown with white coated Shiba Inu, his eyes a grey color with hints of brown.  
>The four dogs were talking and looked up at Spencer and William when they came around the corner, William dangling from his collar which Spencer held between his teeth firmly. The two stopped next to Weston, the older dog, a few feet away from the Labrador retriever and the Shiba Inu.<br>Spencer dropped William so the pug could move freely and they glanced around the area; there were only six dogs here, with them both included; Spencer frowned and looked at Weston.  
>''Are these all the dogs that are coming?'', Spencer asked and Weston looked at him, shrugging for as far as he could do that. Spencer looked at Boss, a frown on his face. ''Your pack is big, why isn't anyone coming?''<br>''My pack is afraid; some are afraid they might die during the trip, others don't want to become truly wild because we've never hunted before. We are street dogs, we live from the food humans leave behind. And other didn't believe the legend of Gin and Weed.'', Boss spoke before turning his head to look at the Labrador Retriever and the Shiba Inu. ''These are the only two of my pack who were curious or brave enough to come.''  
>Spencer looked at the two dogs he hadn't met before. He could slightly remember their faces from the previous day, and their scents, but they were faint in his memory.<p>

''It's nice to meet you, I'm Spencer.'', the yearling said and he looked down at the pug beside him, grinning. ''And this is William; he's a fat spoiled pug.''  
>''Shut up ya little mutt! I know I'm fat, and I know I was spoiled, so stop telling everyone; they can tell!'', William responded, a growl leaving his throat.<br>''We know, we heard you introducing yourself yesterday. I'm Sheba,'' the Shiba Inu said, he was a small dog, only a little bit bigger than William. He looked up at the Labrador retriever standing beside this, his curled tail that rested on his back wagging slightly. ''And this is Sam, my best friend.''  
>''Samuel, nice to meet you. But call me Sam.'', Sam responded, a wag of his tail, but there was no expression on his face. It almost looked like his brown eyes stared right through Spencer and William.<br>''Don't mind Sam; he's a shy one.'', Sheba said and he grinned, winking, immediately after that receiving a push from Sam as punishment.  
>''If this is all, I think we should go.'', Boss finally said, looking around the area to see if anyone else was coming. ''Guess we're with the six of us. Weston, are you ready to go?''<br>''I guess so. Let's head out before it gets dark. It's still morning but when you travel it gets dark soon…'', Weston said and he got to his paws, eyeing each and every one of them before turning around and walking out of the alley. ''I will be your guide to the Ōu Mountains and the pack itself. It will be along and dangerous journey, but I'm sure we will all make it. Heck, even Weed made it to the pack on his search for his father and he was only a few months old; heck, he was still a pup. But even though I'm your guide, I won't be your leader. You have to assign a leader yourself, as I'm old and wise, but have no leader experience.''  
>''I will do it Weston, buddy. I'm a leader myself, I have lost of leading experience.'', Boss said and Weston looked at him, a playful grin on his face. He responded to the Doberman: ''Enough leadership to get all your followers to come along?''<p>

''Yes, very funny… I will still lead, though.'', Boss said with a harsh tone in his voice, annoyed as he was. He walked a bit faster and ended up beside Weston; the guide and the leader in the front, while the others followed behind. Sam and Sheba were the second in line, walking close behind Boss and Weston, mainly because they belonged to Boss' pack and were still his followers. Spencer and William walked third in line, in the back as they both didn't know these dogs very well, and because William had a hard time keeping up with the bigger digs due his fat body and short legs.  
>Spencer looked down at him, smiling as his tail swayed behind his body calmly.<br>''Need me to carry you, big boy?'', he asked teasingly and William growled at him once more, sticking his tongue out at the yearling, but after that his expression softened and he nodded, once again blushing slightly.  
>''Yes please, that would be helpful. I can't keep up with y'all, yar too fast.'', the pug said and Spencer giggled, bending over to grab William by his collar, pulling up the small pug like he did before. ''Thanks.'', William responded to him being lifted off the ground, his voice harsh, his words blunt, but Spencer didn't bother about the way he spoke to him; he knew William was grateful, he was just a really grumpy and spoiled dog, afraid to show others how he really felt. And even though they teased each other a lot, Spencer was glad he had met William; the dog was a great companion and even though he was grumpy and fat, he kept Spencer in reality, kept the kid's head out of the clouds. And in return Spencer told him stories about Weed and Gin and learned him to have fun and behave like a pup. They had a great time together, and that fun time would be extended from this day on, because Spencer knew they would both need each other on this journey.<p> 


	5. Chapter 4

The pack of six dogs ran through the fields, the city of humans was already long behind them now that they entered the hills towards the mountains. Boss ran on the front, followed by the old Weston. Behind Weston Sam and Sheba ran, and Spencer was in the very back, carrying William by his red collar. The six dogs stopped near a river, ready to take a rest and a drink. Spencer walked over to the water's edge and dropped William, on the ground carefully , laying down and panting from the long run. William went over to the water to drink, a grumpy expression on his face like always.  
>Boss looked up at the blue sky, staring at the mountain tops ahead of them. He seemed to be daydreaming, dazed, his eyes staring off into the distance, and he mumbled: ''We've already gotten pretty far in only one day. I'm sure we can reach the mountains in three days if we keep up this speed.''<br>''Don't get too excited now, Boss.'', Weston spoke, stepping up to stand beside the big Doberman dog. He looked at the male, a worried expression on his face, his blue eyes dull; he was tired from their travel. ''It will get harder to get up there. A lot of dogs underestimate the travel at first, but we've only just reached the feet of the hills, the mountains are far way up. And dangers lurk about, no one can deny that.''  
>''What kind of dangers?'', Sam asked, standing behind the two dogs, this was the first time he spoke since the moment he had introduced himself to Spencer and William. Sam wasn't really one to speak, but when he spoke his words made sense.<br>''Dangers like bears and snakes, and of course there are other dog packs we should worry about; dog packs that dislike the Ōu army. There have been many troubles for Ōu throughout these years. Right now there is peace, but I'm sure that soon enough a new pack of wild dogs will step up to try and take over Ōu's territory…'', Weston said. His words faded as he followed Boss' eyes up towards the mountain tops. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, like he was willing to tell more, yet it was hard for him to find the right words to explain with. ''…And there are wolves.''

''Wolves? Didn't they get extinct long ago in Japan?'', Sheba now asked, laying near the water's edge and lifting his head to look at Weston. He had stopped panting, but by looking at his face you could tell he was still rather tired.  
>Spencer looked their way and then at William, who tilted his head to the side to form a confused expression, looking back at te yearling. The kid got to his paws, still panting a bit, and moved closer to the adult dogs.<br>''No boy, that's what they want you to believe. Even the humans believe it, but I know the truth. Wolves still exist; their packs hide in the darkest parts of the forest, they spy on dogs passing by, and hunting the wild boar and deer in utter secret. They are our ancestors, they even fought alongside Ōu's army once, but they remain a different species and solitude. Wolves are strong and proud beings, they see the dog as a human's companion, even wild dogs appear useless in their eyes.'', Weston explained, he turned his head to look at Spencer, who stared back at him with confusion yet interest. ''Not many dogs know what wolves look like, but they appear rather… similar to our Spencer here; they are like German shepherd, all kinds of shepherd dogs, actually, but they are much larger in size, and their eyes vary from yellow to amber and brown to golden. They are solitude and often hide themselves from view, but they can get dangerous if we decide to cross their path. They don't like trespassers in their territory.''  
>''They are dangerous?'', William asked, now scooting closer to the group as well. Weston shook his head, looking at the small pug.<br>''They're not dangerous, actually. They just don't see dogs as their family and can come off dominant over their territory. They have their pride and don't actually tend on helping dogs, whether they are wild or lap dogs. Let's just say… that they can be quite arrogant.''  
>''So they think better of themselves, because they've been wild ever since their species began to exist?'', Sheba asked and Weston now turned his head to look at Sheba, once again shaking his head.<br>''Well, sort of, but they're not exactly different species. As I said earlier they are our ancestors. They keep denying that we are the same because of their pride and arrogance and like to think of themselves as pure, while we are considered mutts in their eyes.''

''You're not very nice about them…'', Spencer mumbled and Weston sighed, looking at the ground. He mumbled to the younger dog: ''Well, it's the truth. And everyone knows it.''  
>''How are you so sure they see us as mutts and useless creatures? If they are our ancestors, aren't they just as loyal to each other as we are to our own kind?'', Spencer asked and the others looked at him with a confused look on their faces. Spencer began to feel rather irritated with their rude behavior, their mean words about the wolves. ''We are the same kind, so we must be the same in some way. Why speak evil about them if you don't know them that very well? They might be hiding in the shadows, but they aren't that bad, are they? You said they fought alongside Ōu's army once, that must mean something.''<br>''We aren't the same. All that's the same are our looks, but even most dogs appear a lot different than wolves. If you would put a wolf and, for example, me next to each other, you will see that I don't look like a wolf at all. And yes, they fought alongside Ōu's army once, but that was only once, and it was because both Ōu and this wolf pack had the same enemy that tried to take over both their territories. And the only way to fight off this enemy was to work together.''  
>''What kind of enemy?'', Spencer asked, feeling really agitated at the moment, but Weston ignored his question and looked back up at the sky, several clouds had started to appear and come closer.<br>''We still have a long way ahead. We should continue our journey and rest again when night has arrived. Let's go, Boss.''

''Yes, we will leave now, let's go!'', Boss said and the pack of dogs began to run again, leaving Spencer and William standing there. William looked up at Spencer, growling at him and he complained: ''Well, ya wanted to go to Ōu and I'm with ya here, so ya better get off yar butt and carry me. C'mon, don't stand there.''  
>''But they fought alongside Ōu's army… and I thought… Didn't one of the leaders of Ōu once learn a very important trick from a wolf? Why didn't they tell me anything about that? Only my mother once told me that was true, others denied it…''<br>''Because yar mother had a very great imagination. Dogs and wolves are different, they don't like each other. Just get over it now and carry me, or we might lose them out of sight! Come on Spencer!'', William said angry and he pushed with his head against Spencer's front paw, like he was trying to get the younger dog into moving.  
>Spencer looked at him and sighed, a sad look in his blue eyes. ''I guess you're right… Let's go…'', he mumbled and he grabbed William by his collar, picking him up and carrying him along again. He ran as fast as he could, following the dogs' paw prints in the sand until they appeared in his view again. As he caught up with the other dogs he looked up at the hills where the tree line of the forest began; he felt like they were being watched by something, or maybe it was someone…<p>

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It was night when Spencer laid asleep near the river. They had followed it all day and the kid was just worn out, curled up into a nice deep sleep, his big fluffy tail covering little fat William who was snoring, an issue caused by his small stump muzzle.  
>Not far away from the two stood Boss, Weston, Sheba and Sam talking. They were whispering, like they were trying to keep the two dogs asleep, like they were trying to keep whatever they were telling each other a secret.<br>''We can't leave them behind.'', Boss whispered, looking at Sam with an angry look in his brown eyes. ''Spencer's just a kid, he can't hunt at all, at least, worse than us adult dogs. And William is a pug; he's too small to be a wild dog, and he will be the one to get the most in danger if we decide to bail on them. Where is your head, Samuel…!?''  
>''Well, I'm sorry but these two keep us up most of the time. We could have already passed the hills and be up in the mountains by now.'', Sam said and he looked at Weston. ''And like Weston said earlier this morning; Spencer looks a lot like… a wolf. He even protected the species by debating with Weston about them. It's like he chooses their side.''<br>''I don't care; he's a dog like all of us and he's a child, we can't leave them behind.'', Boss responded, a soft snarl leaving his throat, but it was loud enough to startle Sam who backed off slightly. ''They will stay with us, and they will meet the leader of Ōu, just like they wished for.'', Boss continued his speech. ''Weston, you said he looks like a wolf, but he's a dog just like us. Every German might look like a wolf, but we all know they're not. And why worry about him defending wolves? He's a sweet kid who sees good in everyone. Why does he defend the wolves? Because he has never seen or met one before. Do you understand now, Samuel?''

''Alright fine… he will stay…'', Sam mumbled in defeat. However, his brown eyes turned deadly serious when he looked back up at Boss. ''But don't forget; have you smelled it, too? have you noticed Spencer doesn't have a true dog's scent? There's a strange mix in it. What if he belongs to the wolf family? Not that he does, but what _if_? We can't take any risks now, can we?''  
>''Your point is?'', Weston asked Sam, frowning at his words. That's when Boss growled loudly and stepped between them, standing high above the cowered Sam.<br>''Your words make no sense, fool!'', he snarled. He stopped speaking for a moment, his ears perked to make sure Spencer hadn't woken up to hear them argue, nor William. He didn't want them to find out what they were fighting over. ''Spencer is a dog just like us. He smells like a dog, he behaves like a dog and he looks like a dog. There's no way to treat him like the enemy when you're not sure if he's actually the enemy. You keep your filthy mouth shut about that kid, and treat him with respect, like you would treat Sheba, got it? Until we don't have proof that he's part of the wolves, Spencer will be a dog. And whether he defends them or not, he's a good kid and he will still be a _dog_. Now shut up and let this fight rest. Get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.''  
>''I agree with Boss, we should all sleep, rest.'', Weston said and Sam and Sheba nodded, turning around and curling up somewhere beside each other, but there was a huge distance between them and Spencer and William; they didn't trust the German shepherd mix, that was for sure. Weston looked at Boss and sighed. ''You better know what you're doing, Boss… It seems like you're growing quite a like towards that boy, aren't you?''<br>''Whatever I'm doing is none of your business, Weston. You might have been part of the biggest dog pack in whole Japan but now I'm the boss, like my name says, and you are under my command until we reach Ōu. And once we're there we will see what Ōu thinks of this kid, got it?''  
>''Fine… I guess you're right about that.'', Weston said and he suddenly smiled at Boss, turning away from him and moving towards a place where he could sleep. ''Well, goodnight, Boss.''<p>

''Idiots…'', Boss mumbled and suddenly his ears perked, he moved his head to look at Spencer, who was blinking sleepily and looking his way. Afraid that the yearling had heard their conversation he pressed his ears against his skull. ''Kid…''  
>''Hey Boss…'', Spencer said and he yawned loudly, lifting his head to get a better view of the Doberman. ''What's up? Why aren't you asleep? Are you alright?''<br>''I'm… fine. How long have you been awake?'', Boss asked and Spencer responded but a soft ''just now'', causing Boss to sigh in relief; he hadn't heard their conversation at all, he had been fast asleep all that time. ''Good kid, very good. Now go back to sleep, we will have to get up tomorrow rather early, so you're gonna need all the rest you take right now.''  
>''Okay Boss, goodnight…'', Spencer said sleepily and he yawned again, resting his head on hid paws and closing his eyes.<br>''Goodnight Spencer, I'm going to sleep right now, too…'', Boss mumbled and he turned around a few times before laying down and looking up at the black sky with its little bright lights; there was no moon tonight. ''Oh Spencer, what did you get yourself into? Why did you defend those wolves…?'', he whispered and he stared at his own paws, a worried look in his eyes. ''Please great Riki, give Spencer strength and courage for this journey. I know he deserves to live in Ōu; he's just like Weed and Gin are, rather mature for their age and a heart of gold. He will learn the way of a wild dog, probably even sooner than I will…''


	6. Chapter 5

It was a beautiful sunny day in the middle of summer; the sky was bright blue, and there was almost no single cloud in the sky, the sun stood high and shone bright, a bit too bright. The pack of dogs walked on the sandy path, the forest on their left and the sun shining in their faces. Their tongues were hanging from their mouth and their heads were lowered; they were tired and thirsty, it was too hot to run. The dogs moved closer to the trees so they could seek shelter in the shadows, where it would be cooler.  
>The hills were becoming higher and higher; they would probably soon reach the mountains' feet; Ōu was beyond the big mountains up ahead, but reaching those mountains and crossing them would probably take a few more days of traveling. Down the hill they were walking was a small village, a place of humans. A place wild dogs would prefer to avoid; not Spencer.<br>''Oh look, a village! Maybe they have water, and food!'', the yearling said happily and his tail that had been tucked between his legs moved up and wagged happily. He shot out of the shadows and ran down the hill, his tongue hanging out and flying back by the speed of the wind crashing into his face, but his eyes stayed wide open, because he was actually glad to see a human's place.  
>''Spencer, no!'', Weston barked, a shocked look in his blue eyes. He went after the boy, jumping down the hill and almost stumbling due his old bones. ''We can't trust every human we come across! They're not all the same!''<p>

''Spencer, get back here!'', Boss yelled, keeping his head high so he had a clear view on the two dogs running off. His attention was caught by the cough of someone else and he looked down to see a grumpy William beside him, growling as he looked up at the bigger dog.  
>''If ya want 'em back, go get 'em, man!'', he snarled and Boss huffed, mumbling a soft irritated ''fine'' before storming off the hill as well. Sam, Sheba and William stayed behind, watching them with concern.<br>''Shouldn't we go after them?'', Sheba asked and Sam shook his head, sitting down and watching the scene in silence, he almost seemed at ease, even though their guide and leader were gone. ''William? What do you say?''  
>''Guess we stay here.'', William began, his short curly tail resting on his back. He turned his head to look at Sheba, a grumpy expression like always. ''Spencer gets in lots of troubles, but I'm sure he'll be fine. Boss and Weston will bring him back if things get bad. We stay here so they can find us back when they've retrieved Spencer.''<br>''I say we should go, we don't need them. We're fine on our own.'', Sam said and Sheba and even William looked shocked at him, William immediately began to growl after, baring his teeth he snarled: ''Ya idiot! Ya think ya can survive without guidance? Shut up and stay still because if ya don't I will come and kill ya! I'm serious! Stay still!''

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''Spencer! Stop! Get back here!'', Boss yelled; he now ran in front of Weston, who already began to tire down from the run. The old man wasn't made for such long travels anymore, and Spencer's stupidity made everything way worse. ''Spencer! Stop it right there!''  
>Spencer didn't listen, he kept on running, his blue eyes glistering, sparkling with happiness. He turned his head to look at Boss and the old man and he smiled, but he didn't stop running.<br>''We can find food and water here, aren't you excited?'', he asked and he giggled and cheered, running into the village and past a corner into a different street. The roads were silent, there was no single person on the streets. No one was outside, it seemed. It made Boss and Weston feel quite uneasy, but Spencer didn't seem to care.  
>The yearling ran through the streets, happily and cheerfully and he wasn't going to stop. His nose was held high in the air to pick up any scents, and the wind brought along the scent of fresh meat. It wasn't butcher's meat, but it was foods. Spencer looked behind him again to see if Weston and Boss were still there, but not long ago they had lost sight of Spencer, so now the kid was on his own.<p>

Suddenly he felt himself being hold back, bumping into something, or someone. Spencer fell to the ground and groaned, his eyes closed firmly as he laid there for a few seconds. Feeling a bit dazed he opened his eyes had but had no clear view yet; everything around him was blurry. Getting to his paws slowly and carefully the first thing he did was sneeze, before his clear view returned. Looking up he stared right into the green eyes of a dog, a blueish-grey coated Akita Inu, with a white chest, belly and legs.  
>He was around Spencer's age, around a year old. Spencer looked confused at him and blinked a few times, looking him up and down. The Akita Inu did the same, taking a few steps back as he watched Spencer.<br>''A-are you Weed…?'', Spencer asked. He knew Weed, the new leader of Ōu, was an Akita, and that he had the same coat colors as this dog in front of him. Yet, he wasn't actually sure if this was Weed, because this Akita Inu had green eyes, and he wasn't a tora-ge; a tiger striped dog. But then again, maybe those stories about the wolf tora-ge dogs had been lies or just stories.  
>The dog looked confused, tilting his head to the side as he stared at the German shepherd, and he slowly shook his head.<br>''Um no… my name is Benji.'', he said, there was a look of disappointment in his eyes. But he soon wagged his fluffy curled tail slightly, smiling weakly at Spencer. ''But I've heard I'm family of him; my dad told me I'm the great grandson of Riki, Weed's grandfather. Not sure if the stories are true, though…''

''Benji huh? Family of Weed?'', Spencer asked, a bit sad at first that he hadn't met the actual true Weed, but his expression soon lost its gloominess as he looked the yearling a bit closer. ''You look a lot like him, I think.'', he side, wagging his tail as a response to Benji's wagging. ''You are no tora-ge but I heard the stories, so I must say your coat looks a lot like him. Have you ever met him before?''  
>''No… I wish I had, though. I really wanna know if it's true that I'm some sort of nephew of his. Even though we've lived pretty far apart from each other.'', Benji said and his ears perked, he looked behind him for a moment, then looked back at Spencer, his glad face had turned into a worried one in only one second. ''Why are you here? You should turn back to the forest. It's… quite dangerous out here.''<br>''What do you mean?'', Spencer asked and Benji walked up to him, suddenly pushing him back with his head, his muzzle buried in the German shepherd's chest. ''Benji, what are you doing? Stop that!''  
>''Shhh, you should get out of here. A pack of dogs live here, they're not very friendly. You should leave…''<br>''I thought you would have been glad to meet a new dog. You look like you're the only yearling around here.'', Spencer said quite confused, but soon he smiled again and even started grinning, pawing at the Akita Inu. ''Let's play tag, you're it!''  
>Benji began to growl at him and pushed him hard, forcing Spencer to the ground. Then he moved on top of the German shepherd, he had his teeth bared at him and stared down at him angrily. ''W-what are you doing? Benji?''<br>''You're not safe here! Get out!'', Benji snarled at him. ''We can't play games! I can't become a kid again! I've grown up and moved on! Now get lost before they come and hurt you!''  
>''Who?'', Spencer asked, not moving a single muscle as he laid there, staring up in shock and confusion. Suddenly the Akita Inu perked his ears and his head jerked back, he stared off into the darkness of the alley. ''Benji…?''<br>''They're here, get lost, now!'', Benji suddenly snarled and he jumped off Spencer, grabbing the dog by his scruff and pulling him up, after which he started pushing him in the opposite direction again. ''Go, please!''

''Spencer! What's going on?'', suddenly the voice of Boss filled the ear and Spencer looked behind him to see Boss entering the alley, Weston was behind him and came to a stop, panting heavily, his head lowered; drool dripped from his tongue, his blue eyes were filled with exhaustion. ''Never run off again!''  
>Boss was furious, he grabbed Spencer by his neck and pulled him away from Benji, throwing him at Weston who jumped in front of the kid and growled at the terrified Akita Inu. ''Now, who is this?''<br>''Please sir, you gotta get out of here… you're in danger…'', Benji whimpered, his voice hoarse, his green eyes filled with tears.  
>''Why? What's going on?'', Boss asked, confused, but he suddenly perked his head as the sound of growling and angry barking filled up the alley. Lots of dogs appeared, ran towards Benji, and ended up in front of him like they were trying to protect him, but their eyes were filled with aggression, foam and drool dropping from their jaws, splashing into Boss' face.<br>''Who are you and what are you doing here!? Go away before we tear you apart!'', one of the dogs yelled, a dog standing in the very front; an Akita Inu just like Benji, but his main coat color was a red color and his eyes were brown. There was blood on his muzzle and he smelled like death; the fresh meat Spencer had scented before.  
>The yearling swallowed and took a few steps back, his ears pressed against his skull, his blue eyes filled with sadness and worry. ''B-Benji… who are these…?'', he asked, shaking his head slowly; he didn't want to believe Benji belonged with these monsters, whatever they were; they indeed seemed dangerous.<p>

''They are… my pack.'', Benji whispered, he looked extremely sad and terrified. Boss growled loudly, stepping closer, his teeth now bared as well, he stared right into the older Akita's eyes, the red coated one.  
>''Why are you so hostile!? What did we ever do to you!? We're not here to take over your territory if you think that is! We just came to retrieve this idiot who thought he could just run off!'', he snarled and he glanced at Spencer, for only a second, before looking back at the red coated Akita, and then his eyes went to Benji, slowly; they were narrowed. ''What kind of monsters are these…?''<br>Benji closed his eyes and shook his head, tears streaming down his face, he took a step back and his curly tail ended up steep between his legs.  
>''I warned you… I warned you, you should leave…'', he whispered. It was like he wanted to scream it all out, like he wanted to run away, but his whole body shivered massively and he just stood there stiff, crying.<br>''If you're afraid of them, why are you with them!?'', Boss forced again, growling loudly. Benji looked afraid up at Boss, then his eyes darted to the older dog standing beside him, the other Akita Inu.  
>''I… I can't…'', he mumbled as he looked up, the other Akita staring down at him, growling aggressively. ''F-father… please…''<br>''Your father!?'', Boss asked and he looked at the red coated dog, stepping even closer till their noses touched. Both stared each other in the eyes, angrily, furious. ''Why do you let this mutt treat you like this, hmm? You obviously seem scared of your own old man, why is that?''  
>''They eat… dogs…'', Benji whispered, his sobbing became louder. ''And they make me eat them, too…!''<br>Spencer perked his ears, shocked. That's why Benji was scared of his own packs, that's why he wanted Spencer to leave; they were their prey, even though they were dogs themselves. They were cannibals, and Benji hated that fact. That was the smell of meat, the scent of death; it was the scent of a recently killed… dog.

''Cannibals or not, I will not back down from a fight! You hear me!?'', Boss yelled and he growled loudly at the adult Akita Inu, taking another step forward. ''I'm not afraid of you!''  
>''If you want it that way, then fine; let's fight, you fool!'', the Akita Inu responded and Boss nodded, an angry look on his face. He turned his head to look at Spencer and Weston, his brown eyes telling them to leave, to flee. In response Weston grabbed Spencer by his tail, pulling him along, away from the scene. His blue eyes held worry towards the big Doberman dog; he was big and strong, and had been raised as a fighting dog, but he was truly outnumbered by this pack of at least seven dogs.<br>''We can't leave him, we gotta fight, too!'', Spencer yelped, trying to get free from Weston's grip, but even though the Irish wolfhound was old, he still was pretty strong for his age and his old bones. ''Weston, please! At least take Benji along!''  
>Weston let go of Spencer's tail, staring at him in confusion. He stepped up beside the yearling, staring at the small Akita Inu that stood there shivering beside his so called father, watching Boss and the adult Akita growl at each other. Soon a fight would start, and if Benji didn't get out of there he could get crushed between a fierce Doberman and a pack of cannibalistic dogs. He had no choice but to get out of there, even though he probably was too afraid to leave.<p>

''We really can't leave him here!'', Spencer yelled again and he ran towards the group of dogs, Weston screamed behind him, out of fear, but the old dog didn't move; his paws were frozen in shock. The German shepherd jumped in between the nine dogs and reached for Benji's neck, grabbing him by his scruff and pulling him away from the others. Benji was strong and just like Weston frozen, but he was frozen in fear, his limbs stiff, he was almost unable to be moved. ''Come on Benji, you can't give in now, let's get out of here…!'', Spencer muttered through the thick bite of blue-greyish fur, pulling with all his might.  
>As soon as Benji was away from all the bloodthirsty dogs, Weston began to move again and jumped in, helping Spencer with getting the yearling out of the alley. The three dogs ran away, while Boss stayed behind on his own. The Doberman looked one last time behind him to see them flee around the corner, before turning his head to look at the seven angry dogs, and he simply ran towards them, jumping up and lunging at them, his teeth bared. He screamed, but it wasn't a scream of fear; it was a scream of war, a scream of braveness. Boss had fought all his life, he wasn't going to back off now.<p>

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The old dog and the two yearlings ran through the streets. A few men were there, but they didn't worry about the humans right now; they had greater things on their mind. As the three tried to find their way out of the small village, they came across a few of the dogs, two that had scattered from the rest to take care of the three feeling canines.  
>''Going somewhere?'', one of the dogs said grinningly, a big massive Rottweiler dog with sharp white teeth. Drool dripped from his jaws as he stood there with his companion, a white coated English Setter mix with brown and black markings.<br>Weston growled as he took a few steps back, and Spencer followed his lead, his ears pressed against his head as he held Benji's tail tight, who stood in front of them. The poor kid was shocked, panicking; his ears were pressed against his skull and his body cowered, he whimpered. If Spencer didn't hold on to his normally curled tail, it would probably have been there tucked between his legs. ''Stay here, now!''  
>''Come on boys! This way! We gotta find a way out!'', Weston yelled and he turned around, running down the street. Spencer nodded and turned around as well, pulling Benji's tail firmly so the small Akita Inu would start moving again. The three ran the other way, the Rottweiler and the English Setter mix going after them. Boss' battle cries could be heard from the alley they had left not too long ago, as well as painful screams from several dogs; it seemed like Boss would be fine. After all Spencer could remember him telling stories about himself how he brought down a Bullmastiff in the fighting ring once, on his very own. It wasn't all about strength, you had to have speed and tactics to finally win a battle, Boss had taught Spencer. Why fight if you could bring down others without using too much strength?<p>

''Stop right there!'', the Rottweiler yelled again, the other dog running after him. ''Right now!''  
>''Never! Ōu's soldiers, no matter they are still part of the army or retired, will never give in without a fight!'', Weston yelled, storming off. The English Setter now spoke, his voice high pitched but angry, through his vocals there was a growl heard. ''If you are an Ōu soldier, then why aren't you fighting, huh? Fight us, you coward!''<br>''No, I'm not ordered to fight, I was ordered to something different…'', Weston mumbled, something two dogs that chased them would never hear. He glanced at Spencer and Benji, smiling weakly at the kids, a sparkle of happiness and braveness in his dull eyes. ''I was ordered to protect the weak and bring them to safety, those who couldn't fight or hunt for themselves. I never fought, I only fled, using my speed.''  
>Spencer looked up at Weston, his blue eyes filled with amazement; it was amazing that Weston was a part of the Ōu army, or at least, that he used to be. And that he had never fought before didn't matter to the German shepherd; he had been part of Ōu, there was no honor greater than that, in Spencer's eyes, at least. All dogs of Ōu were his heroes.<p>

The three moved through the streets, the two bigger and fiercer dogs getting closer to them, but they would never give in to this horrible pack of dogs, that was for sure. If they needed to, Spencer would fight, and he would fight hard, for Ōu and his army.  
>He looked at Benji who seemed rather off with his mind, as they ran alongside each other Spencer nudged him, trying to catch his attention. Benji lifted his head, his green eyes meeting those blue ones of Spencer. They held nothing but sadness and fear, and he opened his mouth to speak, his words soft and filled with grief.<br>''Why do you care… about me? I'm part of this pack, why are you taking me with you…?'', he asked and Spencer smiled at him, trying to give him hope. His and Weston's eyes met for a second, Weston nodding at him with a bright father-like smile, like he was encouraging him to say something that would make Benji feel better.  
>The young German shepherd looked back at Benji, the smile still on his face as he answered the frightened kid's question.<br>''Because you don't belong with them; that leader might be your father but it's sure that you two both have different thoughts about the same things. He's a cannibal, you despise eating your own kind. Even if you keep telling yourself you belong with them, you don't. If you come with us, you can live free, and you will never have to eat dog meat again. Please Benji, don't go back to your father, don't go back to them.''

''But… they are my family, even though I'm different from them…'', Benji whispered and Spencer shook his head, deep down inside he was furious about the way these dogs treated Benji, about the fact they fed him dog meat while he didn't want to eat it, but on the outside he maintained his bright smile in order to cheer up the Akita Inu yearling.  
>''They've never been your family and they never will be. Family isn't only about fathers and sons, and mothers and daughters; a true family is a pack that lives together and forms strong bonds that can never be broken. It's family who sticks together and never backs down from a fight if it means protecting those they care about. You can belong to our family, Benji, you're with us now.'', Spencer said and Benji looked at him, confused, but soon his face lit up a little. He wasn't actually smiling happily, but there was a weak smile on his face, a smile that thanked Spencer for his kind words.<br>''Really…? Thank you…''  
>''Don't thank us Benji, we're just doing what's right.'', Spencer replied and he looked away from the yearling, his eyes focused on their road ahead. he could hear the breathing of the enemy dogs behind him, they were getting closer. The three of them would have to do something to get rid of them, and quick. ''Go ahead, I will hold them back for you!'', Weston suddenly yelled and as soon as the old dog had spoken his pace slowed down. Spencer stopped and looked shocked at Weston as the old dog turned around and burst straight into the two other dogs.<br>''Come on, let's go!'', Benji yelled and he grabbed Spencer by his neck, pulling slightly. Spencer looked at him and nodded, following the Akita Inu. It seemed like his words had reached the boy, as he now was leading Spencer out of this place. But even though Spencer ran away, he didn't feel determined to do so; he was afraid Boss and Weston might end up dying in order to save the two of them.

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''What happened? Where are that show off and Old Bones, huh?'', William asked as Spencer and Benji stood there, panting heavily, their heads lowered. There was sadness in their eyes, worry, and William didn't make it any easier for them. ''And who is this kid? Spencer, answer us!''  
>''Kid, speak, will you!'', Sam snarled, growling at the two boys. Spencer took a few steps back, staring at Sam in fear; the Labrador Retriever barely lost his temper, so that's why Spencer preferred to stay out of his way. ''Where is Boss!?''<br>''T-they… stayed behind… to protect us…'', Spencer whispered, frightened, taking deep breaths while speaking. He looked at Benji for a moment, who stared back at him; the worry was clear in their eyes, and Benji's ears were pressed against the boy's skull. ''This is Benji…'', Spencer continued, looking back at Sam, William and Sheba, who was trying to hold back the angry Sam. ''…He was a part of the pack that attacked us, but he didn't want to be there. It were cannibals, they forced Benji to eat dog meat while hated to eat it. So we took Benji with us… And before you start calling him a monster or something else horrible; he left that pack, he's now with us. We can trust him.''  
>''Boss and Weston were left behind!?'', Sam snarled and he stepped closer, the worried Sheba tried to push him back, his head bumping into the bigger dog's chest. ''And how do you know for sure we can trust this kid here, huh!? How do you know for sure they won't be coming to find us, HUH!? Tell me!''<br>''Sam, easy! I just know we can trust him!'', Spencer yelled back at him. ''Else Weston and Boss wouldn't have stayed behind on order to protect us both… Weston was there when I accepted Benji into our pack, he accepted it, he agreed with it.''

''But he isn't here now, so you have no proof of that event whatsoever!'', Sam snarled furious. ''Boss and Weston might be dead, and as long as this kid hasn't proved himself, Spencer, we won't trust him nor treat him as our family, got it!? And neither will we trust you, because you don't earn our trust…''  
>With those words Sam huffed and walked past the two yearlings, bumping into Spencer so he would almost fall over. Luckily Spencer could keep his balance, and he and Benji stared at Sam in disbelief as he walked off, followed by a silent Sheba.<br>They heard a cough and looked down to see William, who stared up at them, his grumpy expression now sad, worrisome. He took a deep breath and swallowed, like he was trying to say something, but he couldn't quite find the right words.  
>''I'm sorry, guys…'', was all he could say, before silently padding away from them, after Sheba and Sam. Benji looked at Spencer and nudged the sad yearling, before turning around to follow the others. Spencer walked behind him in silence.<br>The sun had already begun to set; they had run through the village trying to find a way out for over hours, and all that time they hadn't eaten nor drunk anything. Spencer had put the pack's health and safety at risk, even though he had saved a life, he had also probably lost two. He started to doubt whether it had been the right choice to go to the village.


	7. Chapter 6

How long they had traveled, Spencer didn't know, but it felt like they were walking in circles, huge circles. As he looked around him he got the feeling the path they took was endless, like they came across the same trees every once in a while. But they hadn't eaten in days, so it probably was his hunger and exhaustion playing tricks on him.  
>Spencer looked at William who was walking on his own, eyes focused on the ground, a grumpy expression like always, but this time it was mixed with regret; he felt guilty for losing Boss and Weston, even though it wasn't his fault; it was Spencer's.<br>Spencer moved faster, getting closer to the small dog who seemed to get really tired. He looked down at him, a questioning look on his face.  
>''You need me to carry you? You look tired…'', he asked and he already wanted to grab William's red collar, but the pug shook his head, refusing the offer.<br>''No thanks, I can walk by myself.'', he said bluntly, not making eye contact with the yearling. Spencer's expression changed into a sad one and he pressed his ears against his head, nudging William. The pug grumbled and snapped at Spencer's muzzle for a moment, before continuing to walk. ''Don't do that. I don't want to talk right now.''  
>''You think this is all my fault, right…? You do, too…'', Spencer whispered and William sighed, shaking his head.<br>''You just thought there was food down there and you tried to help that kid. we lost Weston and Boss but in the end they made their own choice to stay behind… It's just so unreal, though… They're gone.''

''I really feel bad…'', Spencer whispered, William didn't respond, he just kept on walking in silence. It was like he pretended Spencer wasn't there. Like he didn't exist to the dog.  
>There was only one dog, though, who wanted to speak to Spencer is a normal way; it was Benji, the Akita Inu yearling. He walked beside Spencer, nudging the male slightly.<br>''You alright…?'', he asked, a worried look in his green eyes as he stared at the German shepherd dog. Spencer looked at him and shook his head, sighing. ''Do you want to talk about it? I mean, I know they probably meant a lot to you… And it's all my pack's fault…''  
>''Former pack; you are now with us.'', Spencer quickly answered, but once more he shook his head. ''I don't really feel like speaking about it. I miss them and it's my fault, not yours. I wish I could have done it better…''<br>''Well, if you hadn't come, you probably wouldn't have met me.'', Benji said, looking at the blue sky for a moment before glancing back at Spencer, a sad look in his eyes. ''But then again, maybe meeting me wasn't a good thing. I mean… if you hadn't met me I would still be in my pack, but then your friends wouldn't have been harmed…''  
>''But if I hadn't met you, you would now still be eating your own kind. I could not let that go on, even though I barely know you. You shouldn't do something you don't want, Benji, that's why I took you out of there. That's why Boss and Weston helped you, too.''<br>They both fell silent as they marched on, looking at the ground sadly. Neither of them knew what else to say, so they just moved on in utter silence. Until a sound caught their attention.

The sound of barking dogs, it sounded like a hunt. Benji and Spencer looked up, watching as Sam and Sheba stalked over to some bushes and hid behind it, laying flat on their bellies as they watched the scene unfold. William ended next them and glanced at the two yearlings, telling them with his expression that they should come look. Benji and Spencer eyed each other for slight moment, trying to read each other's thoughts, before running towards the three other dogs, laying down near them to see what was going on, as well.  
>It were indeed hunting dogs, four of them, they chased after a wild boar which fled for its life. Three brown Labrador Retrievers and two black ones; they seemed to be family of each others, brothers and sisters, maybe.<br>Spencer held his breath as he watched the hunting party; his belly grumbled because he hadn't eaten in days, and he felt like he was starving. He really wanted to jump up and join in, getting some of the meat for himself and the others, but he didn't know how to hunt and these dogs could be dangerous. Yet, they hunt wild prey for their food, not other dogs, so they probably weren't cannibals.  
>''Shall we jump in and help them?'', Spencer asked, hoping maybe Sam or Sheba would have experience with hunting, but they looked at him with a confused look and Sam shook his head, growling slightly at the kid.<br>''Are you nuts? Neither one of us can hunt and they might be hostile . I don't want to risk anything so you better stay here.'', Sam responded and Spencer huffed, mumbling: ''Then why are we watching them…?''  
>Sam didn't respond anymore, but now Benji jumped into the conversation, an excited tone in his voice. ''Maybe they are a patrol group that belongs to Ōu.''<p>

''You sure?'', Sam asked and he looked at Benji who shook his head, shrugging his shoulders slightly for as much as he could.  
>''No, but maybe… I'm not sure at all… but maybe they know Ōu or have a bond with them in some sort of way. We could go ask them.'', Benji said and Sam sighed, staring at the dogs that hunted down the hill. He muttered: ''Why are you two so reckless? And I thought only having one Spencer was more than enough… you are like a second version of him, Benji…''<br>''It was just an option, an idea.'', Benji huffed, glancing at Sam angrily before looking down at the unknown dogs. ''They're done hunting, they brought down the boar. Can we go ask now?''  
>''Fine, have it your way.'', Sam said and he got to his paws, appearing from behind the bushes. He walked down the hills towards the unknown dogs as his tail swayed behind him annoyed. ''After all, what can happen to us, hmm?''<br>''Stop being such a meanie.'', Benji said, stepping after him. Sheba and William were cautious at first and kept only watching, until Spencer went down by himself as well, wagging his tail happily, a bright smile on his face.  
>The five of them ended up down the hill and looked at the five other dogs. If a fight would occur there would be five against five, but Spencer and the others were sort of outnumbered; they had two yearlings and a pug, and all dogs were inexperienced with hunting. These other dogs however had just brought down a wild boar together.<br>''Hey you there, can we ask you something?'', Sam asked and the five strangers looked up from their meal, blood covering their muzzles as they licked off most of it. Some of them growled slightly, showing their sharp teeth at the strange looking pack.

''What do you want!?'', one of the two black dogs asked, lifting his head, staring at Spencer and the others with narrowed eyes. ''If it's our food; get lost.''  
>''We <em>are<em> hungry, but we don't steal.'', Sheba said, stepping in between Sam and the other pack's leader. The black dog looked down at him and grinned, an amused look on his face; it looked rather evil.  
>''Who's your leader, little dog?''<br>''Our leader perished not long ago… he got caught by… cannibals…'', Sheba said and for a moment the black dog took a step back, hissing slightly. He looked rather shocked but soon enough steadied himself and took a new step forward. There was regret in his chocolate brown eyes, but only slightly.  
>''Really? I'm sorry about your loss…'', he whispered, before getting back to the actual subject, lifting his head and eyes once more at the other group. ''What did you want to ask us?''<br>''We are looking for Ōu. We were wondering if you know where we can find them, or how long our travel up to the mountains still might take.'', Spencer now said, stepping closer to the black coated Labrador Retriever. He looked up at the male, staring straight in his eyes. This dog was much older and much bigger than him but Spencer wasn't afraid; after all he was asking a question politely.  
>However, the black dog didn't seem happy with his question, a low rumble erupted from his throat, but only slightly. His first so expressionless eyes got filled with hatred, anger, irritation.<p>

''Ōu you say…'', he began, he seemed to be thinking, but Spencer wasn't sure what was behind his face right now. he lifted his head again, staring down at the German shepherd mix. ''We know Ōu. Me and my siblings once belonged to the pack, but we got banished… We still hate them up till now…''  
>''Why? Why were you banished?'', Spencer asked, digging a bit deeper, and the Labrador Retriever growled loudly, stepping closer to the yearling and staring down at him, showing his sharp teeth.<br>''They thought we were spies, following orders from Hougen. The imbeciles! Like we would betray our only leader, our true leader!''  
>The five Labrador Retrievers grew loud and angry, saying horrible things about Gin and Weed out of anger, out of frustration. They all now came closer to take a good look at Spencer and the others, they were now fat from friendly.<br>''So you're going to Ōu, huh? Are you willing to join them?'', their leader asked and Sam shook his head, but Spencer wagged his tail, nodding.  
>''Yes, of course! It has been my wish ever since I was born!'', he said and Sam sighed in frustration, the black coated dog growled even louder.<br>''Get out of our territory! Get out of here and never return! If you want to join Ōu, go ahead, but if we ever see you again we will rip you apart! You seemed alright, we maybe wanted to share our meal with you because you look starved, but if you think Ōu is your pack, then leave!''  
>The Labrador Retrievers came closer, way too close. They growled and snapped at Spencer and the others, making them back off and turn around, flee. ''Get out!''<br>''Alright, we're going! We're already going!'', Sam shouted angrily, running back up the hill. The five of them ran away as fast as they could; Spencer had grabbed hold of William's collar along the way. ''This was truly a bad idea!'', Sam yelled at Spencer and Benji, really furious.

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Truly exhausted and starving, the five of them laid there in the grass, somewhere near a river. They had run up the hill, for a few hours straight, just to make sure they had gotten rid of the angry Labrador Retrievers.  
>They laid there panting, tongues hanging out of their jaws. Benji and Spencer laid away from the group, more towards the river. The green grass tickled their paws and they were giggling, talking about things. One could call them insane for finding joy after such an event, but that's what pups and yearlings were like; they would keep on believing and finding hope, holding on to the good things in life.<br>''That was quite a run.'', Benji said, chuckling and Spencer joined in, panting throughout his laughter and nodding his head.  
>''Yeah, but we were faster.'', he said and he giggled again, Benji nodded, taking a deep breath as to try to catch his breath. ''Gosh, that wasn't scary at all. Now that I think of it… I probably wouldn't be scared of Hougen, either.''<br>''No? I would.'', Benji said and he grinned, pawing at Spencer's face. He stopped after a few seconds and rested his head in the grass, looking at the German shepherd with interest. ''You know what happened to Hougen? I heard the stories as well but they tell Weed spared his life. But is that true?''  
>''I'm not sure. I think Weed would have shared his life, seems like something he would do as Ōu's leader and all. I mean, there are no stories of Hougen dying, so I guess he's still out there somewhere, alive.''<p>

''Wouldn't think that if I were you.'', a sudden voice spoke. The two of them looked up, startled by the one who spoke to them. Sam, Sheba and William had heard the stranger too and now stood behind Benji and Spencer, watching in silence as the two yearlings got to their paws.  
>''Y-your are…?'', Spencer whispered, recognizing the dog from his mother's stories; a white coated dog with black spots and black ears; he seemed to be an English Setter.<br>''The name's GB; I'm a tracker and runner of the Ōu army.'', the dog said, smiling at them, his tail wagged slightly. ''But enough about me; what are you going doing here in the open, so tired and… starving too, it seems?''  
>''Wait, you are GB? The one who named Weed?'', Spencer asked and GB nodded, chuckling at Spencer as the yearling's smile grew bright and his face got truly excited. ''What did you say about Hougen?''<br>''Well, Weed indeed didn't take his life, but no one is sure whether he's alive or not. I've heard stories about dogs finding him dead on the road, being hit by a car, so I just believe them. After all I hope that bastard will never come back to Ōu again.''  
>''So he got run over by a car…?'', Spencer asked and GB shrugged, not answering the kid's questions anymore.<br>''GB… Is Weed with you?'', Benji asked, stepping forward, his curly tail wagged with excitement. GB shook his head, which quite disappointed the Akita Inu, and he said: ''Of course not, Weed is with Ōu army, giving orders and helping the pack survive. After all he's the leader now. He has been for over a year. He's grown so much since I met him…''  
>GB's voice trailed off as he stared off into the distance, but he soon came back to reality as his eyes met the five dogs again.<p>

''Sorry, I just have a great bond with him. I used to be his guardian and godfather after I found him. I still am.'', he then said and Spencer chuckled, wagging his tail even more.  
>''I know,'' the kid said, happy. ''my mother told stories about all of you, there's nothing I don't know.''<br>''Really? So you're a little know-it-all, hmm? A big fan of our leader, I assume?'', GB asked and Spencer nodded rapidly, Benji followed his lead and nodded, too. ''You guys look like you haven't eaten in so long… Do you want to meet Weed and Gin? Maybe we can take you in if you like. But if not, then that's fine. Just helping out fellow dogs.''  
>''Of course! I've always wanted to join Ōu!'', Spencer said, jumping up and down. ''I can't hunt though because I was born a stray dog in the city, but I would love to learn and live alongside Weed and the Ōu army! Can I become a guard or maybe something else, can I?''<br>''Easy kid, you're not really well-build for a fighter or guard. Is your nose good at tracking? You could become a tracker like me.'', GB said, grinning at the German shepherd. ''Please, stay here in the forest, I will go back to the army and ask for Weed's help. I will soon return with an answer whether or not you can come along. But of course it will be certain that I will bring back food for you all. Ōu is one day travel away from here, so you can expect me back tomorrow, I promise.''  
>GB turned around, looking back at the others for a slight second, adding to his last words: ''Stay hidden in the forest; it's dangerous to be out in the open like this. You are starving, so you're an easy target for those who want to harm you.''<br>With those words GB ran off into the forest, disappearing out of sight. Sam huffed and looked at Spencer and Benji, his brown eyes showed nothing more but irritation.  
>''Do you think he will keep his promise?'', Sheba asked, looking at the two yearlings. Spencer looked at him and nodded smiling and wagging his tail.<br>''Of course he will come back with food and an answer; it's GB we're talking about. A true Ōu soldier.''


	8. Chapter 7

''What's that?'', Benji asked as he stared at the forest in front of him, his green eyes filled with curiosity. There was the sounds of birds screaming in terror, and their black figures flew up into the sky, like they were feeling from something.  
>As Benji stood there Spencer ended up beside him, watching the scene unfold before him with the same curiosity. He looked at Sam and Sheba, who now stood behind them, and William who hopped after them on his small paws. The five of them looking at the light grey sky, watching the crows flee from something inside the forest. The wind carried along a scent which was similar to a dog's, yet different. None of the dogs knew what was happening, what was coming their way. Until suddenly there were growls sounding in the distance.<br>''W-what was that…?'', Benji asked again, biting his lip as he looked worried at Spencer, like he was seeking for help and comfort, someone who would understand his worry and even fear. ''Is it coming this way…?''  
>''I don't know what it is, but it sounds dangerous.'', Sheba responded to Benji, even though the yearling hadn't addressed him. As he spoke his eyes stayed focused on the forest standing tall in front of them. Around the trees branches started moving; it seemed like something big was scurrying forward. Or maybe a whole group of one kind of species. ''It doesn't smell like a dog… I don't know what it is…''<br>That's when the movements around the trees stopped and suddenly a lot of growls were heard, followed by yelping, which soon after faded to utter silence. The group of dogs watched the tree line, holding their breath, until all of a sudden loud and long howls were heard which didn't sound like dogs, but close enough to be part of the canine family; wolves.

''Oh no! Wolves! Hide!'', Sheba yelled and he turned around, running towards another tree line somewhere behind the group of dogs. Sam went after Sheba and Benji grabbed William by his collar who raged loudly about being ''roughly dragged around''. The only one left still standing there was Spencer, watching with great interest, his body completely stiff; he couldn't move out of shock.  
>Something was pushed out of the bushes, a figure fell on the ground, not moving at all; it was a wolf, a dead one.<br>Tongue out of its mouth, eyes wide open, a golden color. It lay there silently, staring off into nothingness as blood poured from a wound in its chest. Spencer had never seen a wolf before, but it looked so much like a dog. At least, a lot like a dog like him, and some Siberian Huskies and German shepherds. Seeing a creature which wasn't a dog but yet so much alike like him worried Spencer slightly, afraid they might see him like one of them, too.  
>''Spencer! This is their territory! As long as you stay out of it they won't hurt you! Come on!'', the yearling heard Sheba yell, but he just stared at the dead wolf in fear, not knowing what to do. He was completely terrified by the sight, taking a few steps back finally, but not running away, he couldn't take his eyes off the body.<br>But as soon as a pair of front paws stepped out from the bushes Spencer screamed and finally turned around, fleeing up the hill after the others. Afraid he might be caught just like the dead wolf he ran as fast as he could, even passing Benji who was struggling to get William along.

The five dogs hid in the other part of the forest, laying behind some bushes as they tried to hide their scent. They listened for any sounds that would come their way, but after a few minutes of hiding there, laying in the shadows of the trees, nothing came their way and so they sighed in relief, getting back to their paws slowly and carefully.  
>''I think we're out of their territory, and that they're gone…'', Sheba whispered and Sam nodded, encouraging Sheba to go take a look. Sheba however was too afraid to step out from behind the bushes and make sure they were completely safe, so instead Spencer did the job. The other four dogs stayed behind, slightly shivering, as Spencer glanced around the forest.<br>There were no sounds nor any scents of wolves so Spencer carefully stalked forward towards the tree line where they had come from. But just as he wanted to leave the forest and re-enter the open area, a black figure stepped up in front of him.  
>Spencer let out a short loud scream followed by a yelp and he took a few steps back, landing on his butt out of fear. He stared up at two amber colored eyes, with hints of blue and green in it. it were two piercing eyes, bright and scary in the dark, yet rather beautiful as well. It was a black coated wolf, a sleek one and rather small; he was only a bit bigger than Spencer, yet this male wolf seemed to be an adult, no yearling.<br>The wolf stared at him in utter silence and with no expression at all and Spencer just didn't know what to do or say. While Sheba, Sam, Benji and William were behind him hiding in the bushes shivering and whimpering, Spencer stood there completely frozen and silent, staring at the quiet wolf.  
>''U-um… hello…?'', he asked and the male twitched his perked ears, still not saying anything. Spencer swallowed and opened his mouth again, speaking some more. ''W-who are you? Why are you here? We didn't mean to enter your territory, really. We were just passing by and-''<p>

The male wolf narrowed his eyes and looked away, staring at the ground, his ears were now pressed against his head. His tail flicked in annoyance but there still came no sound out of his mouth, he just stood there glancing away, quiet. ''Um, sir… Are you okay? You don't seem happy… W-what happened…?'', Spencer asked again and the wolf looked at him, flicking one of his ears once before pointing his muzzle at the other side of the forest, the part of the woods where the growling, yelping and howling had come from; the part of the forest where the wolves hid themselves.  
>Spencer didn't know what to think about this wolf, but looking closer at the male he realized he was showing a lot of body language; ears flat, eyes filled with fear and sadness, tail tucked between his legs; this male seemed scared, or at least worried. Something had happened, and Spencer realized he needed to guess what it was.<br>But he had no single clue about the actual situation until he saw some blood drops on the sandy ground behind the wolf; there was a small cut in his rear leg and a bigger one on his hip, and on his chest and belly were small wounds as well, biting wounds to be more exact; someone had snapped at him and hurt him.  
>''Did they chase you off? Are you an outcast?'', Spencer asked, his blue eyes wide in shock and interest. The wolf looked at him again and nodded, his ears perking again slightly, but they didn't stand up fully; this wolf seemed more afraid of the dogs and they were of him. ''How could someone do this to their own kind…?'', Spencer asked and he stared at the ground, a sad look in his eyes.<br>''Well, it happens with dogs, too. And remember that group of dogs Benji came from? Those cannibals? They took Boss and Weston from us…'', Sam responded, his voice hoarse and rather hollow, like he felt a lot of emotions when saying those two names, but didn't want to show it.

This time the wolf showed more aggressive behavior; he showed off his sparkling white teeth at Sam and the others, but no growling sounds came out of his mouth. It seemed like this wolf was mute; he wasn't able to speak, probably due an accident or maybe because he had been born like that. Either way, he wouldn't be able to freely communicate with the group of dogs. But, this didn't stop Spencer from trying to speak with him. Because whenever the dogs behind Spencer made a movement, the wolf silently growled; while whenever Spencer spoke or moved, the wolf didn't seem to care. It was like he trusted Spencer, even though he didn't know the yearling. Like he was looking at someone from his own kind, someone he could actually trust and understand.  
>''Sir, did they chase you off because you're mute and your pack thought of you as useless because of it?'', the yearling asked and the wolf nodded, his head moving up and down eagerly, his first so expressionless face filled with shock; someone finally understood him for once. ''What's your name? Mine's Spencer.''<br>''Don't say your name! What if he can speak but he's pretending not to? Don't trust a wolf unless you are one yourself, kid!'', Sam snarled and he growled at the wolf, who in response pressed his ears against his skull and backed off a few steps, growling back silently, fear in his multicolored eyes.

''Sam stop! You're scaring him!'', Spencer snarled back at Sam, before looking back at the wolf, wagging his tail slightly. ''Tell me your name, or at least show me your name, if you can.''  
>The male nodded at Spencer and opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but instead he silently moved his lips, forming a word with them. Spencer tried to read his lips, eyes narrowed and highly concentrated. When he guessed he had it right, he looked the wolf in the eyes and asked: ''Your name is… Yoru?''<br>Again the wolf nodded eagerly and Spencer smiled, his tail wagging even faster now. ''Okay, that's great. It's nice to meet you, Yoru. As said before; I'm Spencer. And these guys are my friends; we are off to Ōu's army, a large pack of wild dogs.''  
>The wolf called Yoru looked their way now, his body still showing he was feeling really uneasy around these wannabe-wild dogs. But the longer he stared the more he seemed to calm down and he nodded at them like he was greeting them. Sheba was staring at Yoru with great interest and shock, because he had never expected a true wild wolf to socialize with wild dogs.<br>''Hey guys, I've got an idea!'', Spencer suddenly yipped, causing the four behind him to jump up startled. ''This is a wolf. Wolves can hunt prey, they learn to when they're still rather young, right? We can offer Yoru a home in the Ōu army and in return he can teach us how to actually hunt, instead of having to steal food from others all the time, or find something to eat in trash cans. What do you guys say about it, huh?''  
>''Sounds like a bad plan; I don't trust him, he's a wolf.'', Sam muttered under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear, even Yoru, who in response growled in silence again. ''See? He's bad, we can't take him along.''<p>

''But he's wounded, and lonely… he needs company. And he can teach us how to hunt, we still need to learn that. isn't this a great opportunity?'', Spencer said again and Sheba and Sam exchanged looks with each other, while William moved closer to Yoru and looked the wolf up and down with narrowed eyes. The little pug then muttered as he looked up at Spencer: ''I guess it's fine.''  
>''Yes! A new friend! We will be a very weird yet funny pack; five dogs and one wolf, sounds fun, doesn't it?'', Benji immediately added, smiling brightly as his curly tail wagged fast. Yoru looked at the young Akita Inu and nodded, a weak smile on his face for only a few seconds, but it quickly faded again soon after.<br>There was rusting behind them, the sound of paw steps and annoyed muttering. The group of dogs and the single wolf looked at the bushes, from which a dog all of a sudden appeared, holding a dead goose between its jaws. It was an English setter, white coated with spots of black all over its body; it was GB. Eyeing the dogs he smiled and dropped the goose to the ground, his tail wagging with excitement.  
>''Guys, I finally found you back! It was a long travel but Weed has agreed to meet you at the Ōu Mountains, where the pack lives. And- Who's that!?''<br>His eyes were now on Yoru, the wolf took a few steps back as their eyes met and he showed his teeth at the English setter, who growled back in response. ''A wolf! What is he doing here? Why are you with this wolf!?''

''We can explain GB! This is Yoru; he's a mute wolf, his pack chased him off, he's an outcast!'', Spencer quickly said, defending the black coated creature. Benji immediately stood beside Spencer, facing GB as well as he pressed his chest forward, like he was trying to look bigger and stronger.  
>''Yeah, he can teach us how to hunt, and in return we will offer him a place in our group.'', the Akita Inu said and GB blinked a few times in confusion before shivering all over his body. He seemed to be debating with himself, whether or not to accept the wolf.<br>''Well but… it's a wolf… But… I guess if he's willing to help you, in exchange for a home and company… he can stay?'', he then mumbled, not sure if it was the right decision. ''But I'm not fond of wolves, just so you know. So he better not try anything…''  
>''Yes! Thank you GB! You're the best!'', Spencer said and he ran over to GB, nuzzling the dog's chest. GB chuckled and joked: ''Well, most say I'm the best.''<br>''Thank you for the food as well, GB! We were starving!'', Benji said, wagging his tail, but William poked the kid's leg as to get him quiet and then looked at GB, frowning, as he asked: ''But isn't one goose enough food for five dogs and one wolf?''  
>''Ooooh… I guess you got a point there. I can go look for more.'', GB said, but suddenly his body stiffened as he stared. Spencer turned his head to see Yoru, who had moved closer to the group. His whole body was in a submissive stance as he stared at GB without any emotions written on his face. After that short moment of silently staring he poked the dead goose with his nose and looked at GB with a questioning look. GB, who probably thought Yoru asked him if he could eat some of the meat, hesitated before nodding slowly.<br>However, Yoru didn't rip off a part from the dead goose. Instead he turned around and quickly ran off, limping slightly due the wounds on his rear leg and hip, in search of food for the group. ''I see… Well, I guess… that wolf's not that bad.'', GB said and Spencer nodded, smiling brightly.


	9. Chapter 8

''We're entering Futago Pass, everyone. Please stay close to me, I know where to go. I don't want anyone to get lost right now, this place is huge.'', GB said as the dogs walked up a hill, in front of them the two huge mountains which together formed Futago Pass. GB stood in front, his head lifted as he stared at the blue sky; grey clouds were slowly coming their way. ''Seems like it's gonna storm soon. We should stick together and out of the wind.''  
>He turned his head to look at the other dogs behind him, counting them one by one, making sure they all had made it, that no one had fallen behind in the last few days of traveling. After all they had been on their way for three days now, longer than the dogs had expected to.<br>''Where is William?'', GB suddenly asked, looking around him for the small pug, which had lost a lot of weight during their traveling; it wasn't the little oversized dog anymore it used to be.  
>''Behind me, GB, he wanted to walk on his own.'', Benji said and William stepped from behind the Akita Inu yearling, looking at GB, snorting once. Benji laughed at his reaction before speaking to GB again: ''He didn't want to be carried anymore, he was sick of it.''<br>''Yeah, of course I was.'', William said, glaring at Benji with the evil eye before running past the yearling and almost stumbling over his own small paws. He ran down the hill, telling the others to follow him. ''Come on guys, I want to reach that pack before midnight, we're so close!''  
>''Hold on William! It might take another whole day to reach it! we have to cross those mountains and it's not a safe path, please follow me and don't go on ahead by yourself!'', GB quickly screamed after the pug, running as fast as he could ands jumping in front of the little dig, stopping him from going any further. ''Just don't do anything stupid- Now where is that wolf?''<p>

Two amber eyes with hints of blue and green lit up in the bushes behind the group of dogs. It didn't take long before the group noticed them and turned around to look, and a sleek black coated wolf left its hiding spot, holding a dead rabbit firmly clamped between his jaws. GB sighed in relief as he saw the big canine, sitting down on the sandy path with a thud.  
>''Good lord, you scared us… But at least you're here now, and with food, that's good.'', the English Setter said, grinning weakly as he stared at Yoru, a hint of fear in his brown eyes; it more seemed like the grin was forced. ''Guess you're quite useful after all…''<br>Yoru simply nodded and walked over to GB, laying the dead rabbit in front of the dog's paws. He lifted his head and eyed the English Setter with curiosity, before taking a few steps back and flicking with his tail once. GB glanced up at Yoru, his body shivering slightly, before he got to his paws and took the prey in his jaws. He gestured for the others to follow him, the group silently obeying, following him.  
>Yoru walked a bit ni the back, just behind Spencer, who was trying to keep William close to them, together with Benji. Spencer looked behind him at Yoru and smiled, wagging his tail. ''You can walk beside us, I don't mind.'', the German Shepherd said and Yoru dropped his head slightly in submission, his eyes focused on Spencer as they held no expression at all. Spencer frowned and kept staring at the wolf, not sure how to respond. ''You don't have to act like this, Yoru, you're one of us now. You're just as important as we all are, maybe even more important because you're a great hunter.''<p>

Yoru smiled weakly, only for a few seconds, before taking back his expressionless face and walking a bit faster, ending up beside Spencer, looking at the kid. Benji looked the wolf's way, feeling a bit unsure about him still, but he had agreed with Spencer to let the wolf come along, so he tried his best not to show any fear.  
>''Yoru, how old are you, actually? You don't seem that old yet.'', Benji asked and Yoru looked at the Akita Inu, moving his lips, but of course no sound came out. ''Wait, lemme ask it differently; are you almost two years old?''<br>Yoru shook his head and Benji sighed, thinking again. ''Hmmm… are you over two years old?''  
>The wolf stood still and shrugged slightly for a much as he could, before slowly nodding. The two yearlings looked at each other and chuckled before looking back at Yoru, who was once again following them. ''You look quite younger than you actually are. Sounds funny, hmm?''<br>Yoru frowned at them and snorted, before shaking his head and moving as bit faster, walking in front of Spencer, Benji and William. The two yearlings laughed again and William rolled his eyes, stepping out from underneath Spencer's paws as he tried not to step on them. He looked up at the two yearlings, trying to get their attention.  
>''Yo kiddos, leave that doggie alone, 'kay? Seems like yer annoying him with yar useless questions.'', the pug said and Spencer laughed even louder, winking at William before responding: ''When you are you going to speak normal?''<br>''Oh never mind!'', the pug growled annoyed, moving even faster and ending up below Yoru, walking between the wolf's paws. ''From now on, ya and me are best buds, 'kay, wolf?''

The dogs stopped when suddenly a loud noise was heard; growling and yelping from the forest. GB looked up and his whole body shivered again. He dropped the dead rabbit from his jaws, staring up at the tree line. ''Everyone, be quiet, and calmly move on…'', he said, but Yoru didn't listen. The wolf showed his sharp teeth as he tried to growl, and left the group of dogs, running up towards the trees. ''Yoru! You useless fool!''  
>''GB, hold on! Maybe Yoru's gonna see what's going on.'', Spencer said as he ran up next to GB, looking at the English Setter. ''Yoru can't speak so even when he's hurt he can't make a sound; they probably won't even know he's there, and he can try and tell us what's going on by moving his lips. If any of us can read his lips, that is…''<br>''Yea, who's gonna read that wolf's lips then, hmm?'', Sam asked sarcastically and Sheba nodded, agreeing with his friend. ''I mean, it's not like he can just tell us what's going on there.''  
>Barking drew the group's attention and they looked at the tree line again, body completely stiffened in shock.<br>Two canines came from the forest, a black one and a reddish one with white, covered in heavy wounds; it were Yoru and an Akita Inu. The two reached the group and stood still for a moment, panting heavily before setting their eyes on the dogs.  
>As soon as Benji and the other Akita Inu looked at each other, Benji screamed and hid behind Spencer, shaking all over his body, his green eyes filled with terror and focused on the red coated Akita Inu.<p>

''H-hey! Y-you are-!'', Spencer said, but no more words came out. The adult Akita Inu licked his wounded paw for a moment before looking up at the dogs, a grin spreading across his face.  
>''Benji, I finally found you back, it's so good to see you again, my son.''<br>''Why did you follow us!?'', Spencer snarled, stepping forward, protecting Benji from the bigger dog. He showed his teeth at the adult, his tail risen in anger and aggression. Spencer's behavior caused Yoru to look confused and then join in with the growling, showing his teeth at the dog next to him in silence. The other dogs just stared in confusion, not sure what was going on.  
>''Who is this? Why is Benji so scared?'', Sheba asked, looking at William and then at Sam before glancing over at Spencer, who was still standing there in a protective stance.<br>''This is Benji's father, the leader of that cannibalistic dog pack from a few days ago! They killed Weston and Boss! HE killed them!''  
>''No! Wait!'', the Akita quickly spoke, his brown eyes filled with all of a sudden, the grin wiped from his face. ''I didn't kill them! I'm actually not really the leader, the others forced me to be! I didn't kill them!''<br>''Liar!'', Spencer responded, stepping even closer. Drool was now dripping from his jaws. ''Tell me the truth! Where are Boss and Weston!? If you didn't kill them, then where are they!?''


	10. Chapter 9

''My name is Ryota, I am Benji's father. I used to be the leader of that dog pack down there in that old small village, yes… But I wasn't exactly the leader. Please let me explain…'', the Akita Inu spoke, eyeing each and every one of them carefully as there was fear in his eyes. The group of dogs stared at him and growled at him; there was no time for Ryota to explain.  
>''Tell us where Boss and Weston are! They were our friends!'', Spencer snarled and Ryota took a step back, groaning at the sudden stings of pain in his wounded body.<br>''Y-yes, yes, let me explain… they forced me to, I always wanted to be a leader so I just took the opportunity, even if that meant eating my own kind. I shouldn't have done that, it was wrong. And when Benji and his siblings got born I tried to stop it, choose the best thing for them, but it was hard because I didn't want to lose the role as leader, nor my honor… So I stayed leader in that pack, that horrible pack. It was wrong, I know…''  
>''Tell us where the two dogs are you attacked a few days ago!'', Sam suddenly snarled, stepping in front of Spencer as he held his tail high and his teeth shown at the Akita Inu. ''You're wasting our time! Where are they!?''<br>''I didn't kill them, I swear!'', Ryota yelped as Sam came closer, standing tall above him and forcing him down in a submissive stance. Ryota had his ears now pressed against his skull, and his first so curly tail tucked between his hind legs. He glanced up at the Labrador Retriever, true terror in his eyes. ''I didn't kill them, they did! The others did! But I know it's my fault as well; I let it happen… but I didn't kill them! I didn't touch them!''  
>''Did you eat from their flesh!? Where are their bodies!?'', Sam snarled again and Ryota began to cry, cowering even more. ''Tell us!''<br>''I… I didn't eat from them… I left as soon as they started the chase… I went after you guys, because I didn't want to leave Benji behind and-''  
>''Liar!''<p>

''Sam, easy. I think he's telling the truth…'', Spencer mumbled and everyone looked confused at the yearling as he stepped forward, pushing Sam aside. He looked down at the terrified Akita, holding his head a bit low. ''Tell me, Ryota, did you really leave the pack to find back Benji?''  
>''Y-yes, yes I did!'', Ryota answered, whimpering in fear as now tears streamed down his face. Spencer didn't hesitate but immediately pressed his wet nose against the dog's chest, trying to feel the his heartbeat. ''I think he's really speaking the truth…''<br>''You can't be serious!'', Sam responded with a loud growl, glancing furiously at Spencer. But Spencer didn't back down from Sam's anger. instead he pulled back from Ryota and looked up at the Labrador Retriever standing beside him. With a serious expression on his face he said: ''A heart never lies, Sam.''  
>''S-so he's speaking the truth…?'', Benji asked, shivering all over his body. He glanced nervously at his father, his tail tucked between his legs as well. Not sure how to respond he hid himself behind Spencer, staying close to the German Shepherd mix like he was begging him for protection. ''I-I don't know…''<br>Ryota looked worried at Benji, sighing in defeat. He slowly got back up, still with his ears pressed against his head, and whispered: ''I know you don't trust me anymore, that you don't believe me… and I can't force you to believe me, either… But please, give me a second chance, I can be better, I swear…''  
>Benji shook his head wildly, still shivering and shaking. He stood behind Spencer, holding his head low, almost touching the ground, his tail pressed against his belly, his ears in his neck. His green eyes were big with fear, his forehead pressing against Spencer's hind leg as he stared in disbelief. ''Wait, you're going to Gajou right? To Ōu's army, right? I can bring you there, I know where to go! You lost your guide, I can take you there!''<p>

''We already have a new guide, Ryota. But you can follow us if you want.'', Spencer said, the others looking at him in anger and confusion. ''…But only if you stay in the back the whole journey and eat last, and only if you behave yourself. One wrong act and we throw you out and do the same to you as you did to those innocent dogs before Boss and Weston, got it?''  
>''Yes, I understand…'', Ryota responded, holding his head low in submission, his brown eyes closed. He then glanced away, staring at the ground, not saying a single word more. Spencer looked at GB, a serious expression on his face, still.<br>''He's wounded, we can't travel far with him like this. We should rest or have someone carry him.'', the yearling said and GB opened his mouth; he wanted to respond, say he didn't agree with the German Shepherd, but he soon closed his jaws again, nodding.  
>''I will carry him, don't worry about that; we can still make it in one or two days, we don't have to rest and travel for another week.'', the English Setter said and Spencer nodded, turning around to look at Yoru.<br>''We hadn't actually planned on bringing along another dog, but thank you for showing him to us, Yoru. You're fair and kind, that's important, my mother always told me.'', he said and Yoru nodded in response, smiling weakly before staring at his paws, he was probably thinking. ''I want you to keep an eye on Ryota for us all. you brought him here and he trust you, okay Yoru?''  
>The wolf nodded again, no expression in his eyes, but the nodding, his answer, seemed resolute. Spencer nodded in return and smiled, wagging his tail. he turned around and walked past GB who was sustaining Ryota. As the dogs moved on a weak grin spread across Ryota's face, but it quickly disappeared again as Spencer turned his head and looked his way with narrowed eyes.<p>

''Tell me, Ryota, how did you get wounded like this? Got some nasty wounds there…'', the yearling spoke and Ryota swallowed, glancing away from him.  
>''I got into a fight… I was walking through the forest when suddenly I got attacked by a pack of dogs… I wasn't able to see them, I only saw their shadows and their figures in the dark. They looked a bit like huge German Shepherds.'', Ryota said, before looking at Yoru, his eyes narrowed slightly. ''A bit like that dog, though, I'm not sure… I've never been outside that village, so I don't really know much about all types of dog breeds, or if there are any other creatures like dogs.''<br>''Yoru is a wolf.'', Spencer said, correcting the wounded dog. ''Though, he's not dangerous; Yoru was banished from his pack, he belongs with us now.''  
>''Maybe it indeed was a wolf pack, they can be quite aggressive when you enter their territory…'', GB spoke, not looking at Ryota as he supported the Akita Inu. ''You should have been more careful…''<br>GB shivered slightly as he finished speaking, looking nervously at the tree line. ''Oooh, what if they're here, looking at us right now, staring with their evil eyes?''  
>Yoru snorted at GB, the only sound he could make, as he watched the English Setter with irritation. GB looked at him and chuckled nervously, trying to keep himself calm. ''Um never mind, I'm sorry… But you're not one of them. You don't have evil eyes…''<p>

''Who's there? Who's entering Futago Pass?'', a sudden voice spoke and the dogs stopped. Spencer looked up at two dogs that stood in front of them, looking down at the group. It were a brown coated Great Dane and a dark grey coated Kai Ken, blocking the small pack of dogs from entering Futago Pass.  
>''Ken, Kagetora! It's me, GB!'', the English Setter responded, a huge smile on his face as he left Ryota's side to step forward. The two dogs standing on the hill quickly came down to greet their fellow Ōu soldier.<br>''GB?'', the Great Dane asked, looking confused at the dog in front of him. It was the Kai Ken, called Kagetora, who spoke next. ''GB! Where did you run off to? It's good to see you again. Weed was getting worried. I mean, I'm sure you're off to Ōu right now, right?''  
>''Yeah, I was patrolling down the forest a few days ago when I came across this group of dogs, they were heading for Ōu so I went back as fast as I could to ask for Weed's and Gin's permission, before returning to pick them up.''<br>''Then why did it take you longer to return to Futago Pass?'', Ken asked, eyeing the group of dogs carefully. His brown eyes stayed on the black coated wolf standing in the back, Yoru.  
>''We had a little bit a problem… These dogs are not used to traveling so far, and we have a small pug as well, so he had a hard time keeping up with everyone else, that's why it took us two days longer to get here.'', GB responded, immediately receiving an annoyed growl from William.<br>''I might be small but I can survive in the wild, don't question my skills, mutt.'', he said and GB chuckled nervously before looking back at the two patrollers.

''Why is that… what kind of dog is it, anyway?'', Ken finally asked, his eyes had been on Yoru the whole time he had been staring. ''Or isn't it a dog?''  
>''Yoru is a wolf.'', Spencer said, stepping in between Yoru and the rest of the dogs surrounding them. ''His pack chased him out because he's mute, he joined us because he can teach us how to hunt, and he needed company.''<br>''A-a wolf…?'', Ken asked and he looked at Yoru with disbelief, eyed wide. ''But… why is he with you? Wolves are dangerous, especially this pack close by; their territory is larger than Ōu's, and they're rather aggressive and dominant over it.''  
>''They mostly keep themselves hidden and mind their own business, but lately they've been a pain to us… They keep on getting closer, like they're trying to expand their territory and take a bit of Ōu's territory in the process.'', Kagetora said, eyeing Yoru with curiosity. ''How can you be sure this wolf isn't a danger to us? A spy of some sort?''<br>''He isn't,'' Spencer said, protecting Yoru from the stares by standing right in front of the wolf. ''we saw it happening, we saw his pack chase him off. One of the other wolves that were banished died. He was killed by his own pack. I saw it happen, I was there. Yoru isn't part of that pack anymore. He's our friend.''  
>''if you say so… though, we should discuss this matter with Weed and Gin first.'', Ken responded, eyeing the wolf with slight nervousness. ''I don't really trust him, but that's my opinion.'', he continued to say and Kagetora nodded, agreeing with his friend.<p>

''Can you bring us to Ōu? We have a wounded dog with us and we really want to meet Gin and Weed.'', Spencer said and Ken and Kagetora looked at the yearling. There was a moment of hesitation, but they soon nodded to his request.  
>''Yeah, that's fine, you can come with us. We will bring you there.'', Ken said and he turned around, walking back up the hill towards Futago Pass, Kagetora soon followed him, as well as GB and the others. ''Tell us your names so we can introduce you to our leader immediately when we get to Gajou.''<br>''I'm Spencer,'' Spencer said and he looked behind him, making sure he would miss anyone in their introduction. ''the pug is William, the Shiba Inu is Sheba, the Labrador Retriever is Sam and the young Akita Inu is Benji. The older Akita Inu is Ryota, he's Benji's father… As for the wolf, his name is Yoru.''  
>''I see, you got quite a special bunch there.'', Ken responded and Kagetora laughed.<br>''A wounded dog, a small pug, a wolf. You guys indeed are a special pack, gotta agree with Ken here.'', the Kai Ken spoke, chuckling at the thought of having a pug and a wolf joining Ōu. He turned his head to look at William and Yoru, who were walking beside each other. ''We don't have any small dogs in Ōu, neither did we ever accept a wolf. Wonder what Weed and Gin will think of you.''

There was the sound of howling behind the trees, far away from the dogs, but still too close for comfort. The two patrollers looked up, as well as GB who hid a bit behind them, feeling rather nervous and scared again. Yoru looked up at as, growling in silence as he showed his teeth at the invisible enemies.  
>''Eh, wolves… I tell you, they're doing this on purpose, trying to scare us like that.'', ken said and Kagetora nodded, adding to his friend's words with an annoyed expression: ''A bunch of annoying fools. Though, they're quite strong, and big… They're not that nice, let's just say that.''<br>''What's gonna happen now? Will a pack of wolves invade Ōu? Why is Ōu always in danger, why does everyone want to take over Gajou and have it for their own?'', Spencer asked, looking worried at the ground as he walked. ''First Akakabuto, then Kaibutsu… and now wolves.''  
>''So you've heard about those stories, hmm?'', ken asked and Spencer nodded.<br>''Yeah, Akakabuto was defeated by Gin, and Kaibutsu by Weed, one year ago. My mother told me their stories, but I loved the stories about Weed the most.'', the German Shepherd mix said and Ken stared off into the distance, thinking.  
>''…We probably don't get a wolf attack, but we can never be certain. Ever since these wolves came closer we asked Weed if it was necessary to create a stronger border and have more patrollers and scouts roaming the areas inside and outside the territory.'', he then said, not looking behind him as he spoke. Spencer eyed his worried and then nodded, sighing in defeat. It seemed like Ōu wasn't worried about this wolf pack at all.<p> 


	11. Chapter 10

Futago Pass was surely big, Spencer looked around him with opened mouth and with huge blue eyes. It made him pay no attention to his surroundings, and he almost stumbled over a small stone laying on his path. Yelping he fell forward, bumping into Benji who was knocked down along by him.  
>The two yearlings fell on the ground, sand and dust whirling up into the sky. The other dogs turned around to look at them in confusion, and GB moved to the pack of the group to make sure they were alright.<br>''What happened to you two?'', he asked, frowning. ''Did you suddenly fall?''  
>''I stumbled…'', Spencer said and he blushed slightly, feeling quite ashamed. He got to his paws again, chuckling slightly as he met Benji's annoyed gaze. ''I stumbled over a stone when I wasn't paying attention.''<br>''How could you be so dull? You should look before you.'', Benji said annoyed and snorted, turning around and moving on. Spencer sighed in response, chuckling again as he now felt ev3n more ashamed. He said to Benji: ''I'm sorry, Futago Pass is just so big; it amazes me.''  
>GB laughed and poked the German Shepherd mix with his paw, right at the shoulder. He spoke to Spencer as he winked at him, grinning. ''You really remind me of Weed sometimes.''<br>The two dogs moved again, going after the others. Meanwhile Spencer looked confused at GB, wondering why he had said it. And he wasn't going to keep it thought, he really wanted to know. ''Why do I remind you of Weed? And when?''  
>''You sure are a curious pooch.'', GB responded, still grinning. As they walked he looked at Spencer, smiling at him. ''Weed has always been a very curious dog, too. And he too was amazed by the beauty of Futago Pass and all the other parts in Ōu's territory. And considering you accepted Ryota to come with you… you would be just a fair leader as Weed is today. He too gave others a second chance and saw a good side in them. He's one of fair justice, just like you.''<p>

''Really? So I'm just like Weed?'', Spencer asked, a smile on his face as he stared up at GB all excited. However, GB chuckled and shook his head, causing Spencer to stare at the ground with a sad look in his eyes.  
>''No, you're not the same. You two have the same personality traits, but you are both different dogs. You both have your own life and your own story to tell.'', the English Setter answered and Spencer looked up at him again, wagging his tail happily.<br>''Really? So I'm not exactly like him but we're quite alike?'', he asked and GB nodded, causing Spencer to squeal and run fast, passing all the others. ''I'm almost just like my hero! Now I really wanna meet him!''  
>''Oh boy, sure is an interesting pooch. He's almost just like Weed when that kid was younger.'', GB said, laughing again. He started running now, too, the others following as well because they didn't want to fall behind. ''Hold on kid, wait for us!''<br>The group of dogs ran over the hills, Ryota being supported by the wolf called Yoru. As they reached down the hill a small river blocked their path, but it wasn't very much an obstacle; Spencer jumped straight over it, and so did the others. Passing the small river they entered a huge dark green forest, a mixture of birch trees and pine trees all together.  
>''We're getting closer to Ōu's heart, Gajou. It won't take long now till we reach the pack and get to see Weed and Gin.'', Ken said as he ran just after GB, looking around him. his brown eyes were narrowed as he spoke. ''Though, it sounds oddly quiet… a bit suspicious out here.''<p>

''You feel it too, huh, Ken?'', Kagetora asked, looking at the Great Dane, who nodded in response. ''There are no birds singing… I guess it's those wolves hiding themselves in this forest. They seem to follow us for some reason.''  
>With his last words he glared at Yoru, who was running in the back, carrying the wounded Ryota on his back. The black wolf was rather small for his age and breed, and quite slender, but he still had enough strength, making him able to support the adult Akita Inu who seemed to be asleep, his head hanging down, his brown eyes closed.<br>''Hey, wolf, where are your filthy friends, hmm? Those mutts, covered in fleas?'', Kagetora asked, his voice sarcastic as he teased Yoru, trying to get the wolf out of its shell, but Yoru didn't pay any attention to the Ken Kai's words, he didn't seem to bug. He just stared at the dog, almost like his multicolored eyes tried to stare right through Kagetora's soul. ''Eh fine, have it your way… I don't trust you.''  
>''Shut up Kagetora. That wolf is wounded, too. Only slightly, but still; he's no match for us. And if that kid called Spencer said he joined them and won't harm us, then we better trust his words.'', Ken said, looking at the Kai Ken. ''Didn't Weed teach us to accept someone and give them a chance until proven differently?''<br>''Yeah, guess you're right…'', Kagetora answered in a mumble, staring at the path in front of them. He didn't feel like arguing with Ken over this anymore, because in the end Ken mostly was the one who was right about things.

''S-stop!'', GB suddenly said and the dogs all stopped, bumping into each other, creating a pile of fallen, disorientated dogs. They called out GB's name in frustration, getting up and rolling out from underneath each other as they sought for ground beneath their paws again. That's when a faint scent of wolf hit them, and the dogs looked up to see the black figures of other canines staring down at them, but these canines were much bigger than the dogs, and their eyes held an evil glow; brown, amber, yellow, all eyes were different. As the black figures stared down at the dogs growls were heard, deep and frightening. ''W-wolves…''  
>''Are those… actual wolves…?'', Kagetora asked, staring up at the canines in the shadows, his body shivering as his tail was tucked between his legs. ''They're much bigger than… Yoru. How come?''<br>''That's probably why they chased Yoru off; the male was smaller AND mute, useless to their pack…'', Spencer answered Kagetora's question, not looking at Yoru as he spoke, but he could feel the tension around the group of dogs; he was sure Yoru was standing behind them, cowering as well, even though he was a wolf just like those creatures up those hills in this forest. ''W-what do we do now…?''  
>The creatures came down the hill, stepping closer. There was no way the dogs could go around; the wolves were blocking their path. Five canines came from the darkness of the forest, out of the shadows, their eyes on the dogs, growls emerging from their throats, deep down. One of them was drooling, showing off his teeth while his yellow eyes were filled with rage and insanity, a golden coat with white and cream through it. While three others just growled at them, all black coated just like Yoru, and brown eyes, the fifth and last wolf standing in the front just stared at them, his amber eyes piercing through their soul as his face held no expression at all. He rolled his eyes for a moment, his voice a deep sound as he sighed and spoke, almost like he was tired of seeing dogs.<br>''Ugh, dogs… more and more dogs, like always.'', he said, his eyes rolling back down onto the presences in front of cowering, cowering before him.

''Why are you here? Speak up! Don't make us attack you, I have an army, more than a thousand wolves hiding in the shadows.'', the wolf spoke, his amber eyes full of life and excitement as his face stayed the same; expressionless. His coat was a brown color with mixtures of cream and grey going through it. One of his ears was torn, giving this leader an actual dominant look, an aggressive look. ''Speak up I said!''  
>''S-sir, we didn't mean to go through your territory, if this is part of yours.'', Spencer spoke up, stepping forward, his head held high as he tried to stare the wolf into his eyes without averting his own or shaking all over his body. ''We just need to go through this forest in order to get to Gajou, the heart of Ōu… Please, let us through and we promise not to return to this very part of the forest.''<br>The wolf laughed, throwing his head back as he did so. The other wolves laughed too, the golden coated one which has first appeared the most aggressive of all laughed the loudest and in a very unpleasant way.  
>Stopping with laughing the brown coated leader tilted back his head a bit, looking at the small German Shepherd yearling in front of him. His amber eyes held even more excitement now as a grin was spread across his face, showing off his sharp sparkling teeth.<br>''Gajou? Ōu? That pack is pathetic, they will not be able to stand up against us.'', the wolf spoke and he laughed again, the golden coated wolf laughing as well, but he was soon shut up by the other three, receiving growls and snaps from them. ''Dogs don't belong in this forest, dear boy. And neither do wolves who are traitors.'', he continued to say as his eyes slowly drifted off to Yoru, the male hiding in the back.

''Dogs have never belonged here, they belong back in the villages and cities with their human owners, they belong in captivity. Wolves are the ones who belong here, they should be the ones free and wild.'', the wolf leader spoke, eyeing all the dogs with an angry glare one by one, but the grin never left his face, until now. ''That's why Gajou should be ours. It's ours! And if it won't become ours then it's no one's! we wolves are thriving, we need a territory, a place where we can live freely and survive, dogs aren't wild, they shouldn't be here, they shouldn't stand in our way!''  
>The three black wolves standing behind their leader howled, it sounded like a victory howl, and the golden coated one quickly followed their lead; he seemed to fall behind on everything, and not exactly too bright.<br>''We will take back what is ours, we will fight against you mutts and take over Gajou, we will bring down the Ōu army and kill them all, no mercy! You stole this place from us and now you will pay, we will steal it right back from you!''  
>The other wolves had stopped howling and nodded, standing just behind their leader, eyeing the dogs. The three black coated wolves held no expression while the golden coated wolf with yellow eyes grinned and giggled like a little pup, droll dripping down his jaws once more as he stared at the group with a look of insanity in his eyes.<br>''You can't do that! Ōu fought hard to win Gajou back for their own! Gajou belongs to Ōu and to no one else!'', Spencer yelled furiously, stepping forward as he growled loudly. The wolf stared into his blue eyes, not pulling them away at all, they both just stared at each other, until he let out a chuckle, closing his eyes.

''I see, you're a strong pooch, you're different from the others… I will let you live for now, kid. you're a more worthy opponent than any other dog in this world, facing me like this, not stepping back. For now you will live.'', he said as he turned around, looking at Spencer. ''But mark my words; we will kill each and every dog in this continent, each dog that tries to become wild and free. I, Kenshi, leader of Japan's wolves, will promise you this.''  
>With those words the male turned around and glanced at Spencer with a slight grin on his face, before moving back up the hill. ''Kai, Zai, Rai, follow me. Hokori, report about these filthy mutts to General Kurai back in the mountains, hurry up!''<br>The golden coated wolf nodded quickly and ran off in the other direction, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as it was swept aside by the wind. Before the four other wolves vanished from the dogs' sight, Kenshi looked one last time at Spencer before rushing into the forest, disappearing behind the trees, and the triplets Kai Zai and Rai followed him.  
>''Oh no, this is bad… we gotta report the situation to Weed and Gin quickly, before that mutt of a wolf does to their own General.'', GB said, looking at the other dogs around him. ''Hurry guys, we gotta reach Gajou before nightfall!''<br>The dogs began to run up to hill, towards where the wolves had went, but there was left no sign of the evil creatures. But Spencer was sure they would return to finish them off. However, he wondered why Kenshi had let them live for now, why he had let them go. It couldn't be just because Spencer had been standing up, right?


	12. Chapter 11

''A raging river, do we have to cross it?'', Spencer asked as he watched the water stream very fast in front of him. GB shook his head and Ken responded with: ''No, if we keep on following this river we will be fine.''  
>With those words the Great Dane turned around and sat in the grass, staring up at the tree tops. ''We gotta reach Gajou before nightfall if we want to bring the news in time, but we can't wear ourselves out; we will take a few minute rest.'', he continued to say and Spencer nodded, eyeing the tree tops as well.<br>''Good, I've wanted to drink something for so long now.'', Benji said in response and went over to the river, carefully touching the water with his paw to make sure the water wasn't too cold, nor that it was strong enough to drag him along in the stream at this very point near the edge. When everything seemed safe Benji bent down his head, drinking from the water. He continued to do so as the others rested and chatted in the grass for a bit.  
>Limping over to the water's edge was Ryota, standing next to his son as he stared down at the water. Benji lifted his head slightly and stared at the older Akita Inu with narrowed eyes, before drinking from the water again. As he did this he kept staring up at the adult, watching him carefully.<br>''What do you want?'', he asked and Ryota pressed his ears against his head for a moment, before smiling weakly at his son.  
>''I thought I could speak to you for a moment, now that we're resting… I hope you're willing to listen to me when I say that I'm very sorry for what's happened.'', he said and Benji snorted, glancing away from him, staring back at the water which he was drinking.<br>''Like I would ever forgive you. You're not my father anymore.'', the yearling said and Ryota showed his teeth for a moment, before pulling back his head and glancing at the water.  
>''Your words hurt me, Benji.'', he spoke, his voice hoarse. Benji shook his head in disbelief, not really paying much attention to the adult anymore. ''But I see now… I understand… It is how it is, isn't it?''<p>

His voice had grown rather dark and deep and Benji now looked back up at him, frowning. When he saw Ryota's eyes it was already too late. Ryota turned his head, flashing a grin of sharp teeth, a growl escaped from his throat. ''I knew this was going to happen, I knew you wouldn't want me back as your father! But it doesn't matter, because I was gonna eat you anyway!'', he yelled and his teeth clamped themselves around Benji's neck. He pushed hard, forcing Benji down. The yearling struggled, trying to fight back against his father while pushing himself away from the edge of the river; he didn't want to fall in. If that would happen he would end up being taken by the stream, and then it was all over for him. So Benji screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to catch the others' attention.  
>''Help! HELP!'', he screamed out and suddenly the grip around his neck was gone. turning around he saw how Ken had grabbed Ryota's tail with his teeth, pulling him away from Benji, while Kagetora, firmly held Ryota by his scruff.<br>Spencer rushed himself over to the scene, standing in between Ryota and Benji in a way to try and protect Benji from the Akita's jaws. After all the adult Akita Inu was still growling and snapping at Benji, trying to catch the kid.  
>''Let go of me! He deserves to die!'', he yelled angrily and was pushed down to the ground by Kagetora, who held him down firmly.<br>''What's up with this dog? What's his problem!?'', the Ken Kai asked with disbelief and annoyance as he saw the Akita Inu struggle. It was then when Ryota bit Kagetora's paw and sent the dog yelping, backing off. With a swift kick from his hind paw he hit Ken's jaw, causing the Great Dane to let go of him. Spencer stood in between him and Benji, but that didn't stop Ryota; the male ran and jumped over the German Shepherd, reaching for Benji. But the Akita yearling was fast and jumped aside, falling to the ground and staring at Ryota, who ended up jumping into the river instead of into his own son.  
>Screaming he was dragged away by the stream, splashing and trying to reach the edge. Spencer ran after him, trying to catch him and getting him back on dry land, but he failed and Ryota disappeared in the water, behind the horizon. The German Shepherd looked worried, before turning to stare at Benji and the others, making sure they were alright.<p>

''What was that guy's deal!?'', Kagetora asked furiously, raging. Ken stared at him, growling slightly as sign for the Ken Kai to calm down. Spencer moved over to Benji, shock in his eyes as he eyed the panting dog that lay on the ground.  
>''Are you okay, Benji…?'', he asked and the Akita Inu looked up at him, nodding slightly as he kept on panting. There was fear and exhaustion in his green eyes, but also a hint of relief; relief that Ryota was gone. ''He… he drowned, didn't he…?'', Spencer asked again, now glancing over at the three Ōu soldiers; GB, Ken and Kagetora.<br>''Most likely… that's a rather fast current. Even if he's a great swimmer, he would still get pushed into rocks and probably lose his consciousness… and if that happens he will drown.'', Ken spoke, eying the river with a blank expression, his brown eyes distant.  
>''If he drowns… but what if he doesn't…?'', Benji asked, his body shivering as he got to his paws. Spencer stood by his side, supporting him. Ken looked at the Akita Inu, smiling warmly.<br>''Don't think about that now. It's over, he's gone. And I'm glad, because there was a tensed air around him, I didn't really trust him… It was almost like he had rabies, or something like that…''  
>''Can we please forget about that filth of a mutt.'', Benji suddenly spoke, his jaws snapping shut as he glared at the Great Dane angrily. There was still fear in his eyes, terror to be more exact. He didn't want to talk about Ryota any longer.<br>The dogs looked at the yearling, lowering their head slightly and nodding; their rest was over, they had to continue on their journey to Gajou, and Ken was the first one to move, leading the way. The others followed, all were silent, and Spencer stayed close near Benji, supporting him. He didn't want Benji to feel sad or unsafe, because it seemed like the Akita had a hard time keeping his shivering body under control. He stayed quiet on their whole journey, after that very moment.

The group of dogs continued to move on through the Futago Pass, getting closer and closer to their goal; Gajou, the heart of Ōu's army. And as Spencer looked up after a while and glanced around him, he saw a big pile of stones and rocks rising up behind the horizon; it was Gajou.  
>Spencer began to run fast, a huge smile on his face as the only thing he could think of now was meeting Weed and Gin, but especially Weed. He laughed happily, wagging his tail as he ran. The closer he came to the pile of rocks and branches, the more excited he became. It almost made him stumble over his own paws, but he kept his balance and reached the foot of the pile, staring up at it; it was so big, it was huge!<br>''This is Gajou? I love it!'', he yipped happily, glancing at the others behind him, who were getting closer. ''Hurry up guys! We're here, we're here!'', Spencer yelled again, wagging his tail even faster. It was then when he heard a noise and looked up. on one of the branches that stuck out there stood a dog, a white one. It was a Kishu Dog, pure white with brown eyes. He looked down at Spencer with a calm expression on his face, his eyes scanning the yearling below.  
>''Who are you? Why did you come to Gajou?'', he asked, jumping down from the branch and landing on the ground in front of Spencer. He eyed the kid up and down before smiling at him. ''Not that you cannot stay. But, you came here alone?''<br>''No sir, I'm Spencer, GB found us and brought us here. Together with Ken and Kagetora.'', Spencer responded, his tail still wagging. The white Kishu Dog nodded in understanding, glancing at the other dogs coming closer as he then looked back at the German Shepherd.

''You look quite interesting. A mix, I assume? Beautiful blue eyes you got there, you make me jealous.'', he then said ands chuckled, Spencer chuckled as well, laughing for a bit before smiling even brighter and nodding.  
>''Yeah, my mother was a German Shepherd, my father… I don't know his name nor what breed of dog he was…'', Spencer mumbled, his words drifting off as he stared at the ground. There was a worried look on the Kishu's face as he stared down at the kid. ''Can you tell what breed my father could have been by looking at me?''<br>''Guessing with your blue eyes, he could have been a husky, though… you quite look like a normal German Shepherd, but with other coat colors and a slight hint of another breed, though I'm not sure what breed. But let's not worry about that now, I'm Akame.''  
>Spencer looked shocked at the dog called Akame, blinking a few times before getting all excited, jumping up and down.<br>''You're Akame? You're the former leader of Iga, those ninja dogs! You were one of Gin's lieutenants together with John before he died in a battle with Hougen!'', the German Shepherd mix said happily, his eyes big and his face bright. Akame looked at him with interest, before chuckling at his words and actions.  
>''My my , is there something you don't know about us Ōu soldiers?'', he asked and Spencer shrugged for as far as he could do that, sitting down in front of him. It was then when GB, Ken and Kagetora ended up beside him, William, Sheba and Sam staying behind. Yoru stood in the very back, hiding a bit from the dogs. After all he wasn't really a dog himself, and he didn't want to be seen that quickly, afraid he might be attacked.<p>

''Akame, we have bad news, we need to report to Weed.'', GB said, panting from the run, before stepping closer to Akame, whispering in the Kishu's ear. ''It's important, he needs to know. It's about those wolves.''  
>''I see…'', Akame mumbled as GB pulled back, nodding to his words. ''I should see if I can get Weed's attention. If he isn't here we will inform Gin first. After all he's Weed's father and the former leader of Ōu; he should know as well. Tell me more about those wolves.''<br>''Wolves? What's up with the wolves?'', a voice suddenly spoke and the dogs looked to the side to see an Akita Inu coming from around the corner. A blue-greyish coated one with white markings and blue eyes, three big scars on his forehead. He had tiger-like stripes on his body, meaning he was a silver brindle type of dog, also known as tora-ge.  
>''Gin!'', Ken said as he watched the former leader of Ōu walk over to them, joining into the conversation. Gin seemed quite confused with the situation, eyeing all the dogs around him carefully before speaking again.<br>''Who are these dogs, where did you come from? What do you know about the wolves out there in the forest?'', he asked. '''Where's Weed? Does he know about the wolves yet?''  
>''No Gin, these dogs just arrived. I don't know their names, except for that German Shepherd mix, his name is Spencer, as for the wolves…'', Akame said, looking at Gin. His voice trailed off, like he was waiting for the other dogs to speak up and inform them.<br>''Kenshi, the leader of the wolves, he wants to start war between his pack and Ōu.'', GB said and Gin jerked his head in GB's direction, a confused look in his eyes. It didn't seem like he really believed the English Setter's words. ''He told us himself, that us dogs don't belong here and that they're going to make us pay for taking Gajou from them. They want to take Gajou from us and every part of Ōu's territory. He sent one of his followers to report the news to their General, right in front of us.''  
>''Yeah, they quite dare, the filthy beasts…'', Kagetora muttered under his breath, staring at the ground. It was silent for a moment as Gin just stood there, staring in disbelief. After a moment he shook his head, groaning slightly.<p>

''This can't be possible… We have lived in piece with the wolves for a long time. We aren't exactly allies but neither are we enemies. My father Riki even learned the very technique, the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga, from a wolf called Fuuga. There is no way wolves want to have war with us.'', Gin finally said, still shaking his head. Staring at the ground he seemed to be thinking, before lifting his head again. ''But then… if it's really true, then maybe it are rebelling wolves wanting to take over Gajou… What did you say was their leader's name again?''  
>''Kenshi,'' Ken said, snorting as he spoke the name. ''He looked like a stubborn one, he could become quite a troublesome wolf to us…''<br>''Kenshi huh? I can remember a name like that… I remember a wolf named Kenshi who was one of the Zetsu warriors.'', Gin said, once again thinking. ''Though, I could be wrong…''  
>''W-what? A Zetsu warrior? So you say he might know how to use the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga?'', Kagetora asked, shock in his eyes.<br>''I didn't say that's the case… I said it might be, might.'', Gin responded, looking at Kagetora. The Ken Kai wanted to open his mouth to speak but he was cut off by Gin as the Akita Inu turned around and walked off, towards the entrance of Gajou. '''I will get Weed, we will speak about this matter later when Weed arrives back home. Ken, Kagetora, GB, take care of the newcomers, give them food and water. If they want to stay with Ōu Weed will talk to them later.''  
>With those words Gin disappeared into Gajou, leaving the dogs to stand out there; he hadn't seen Yoru, or maybe he had, but he hadn't paid any attention to the wolf.<br>''Yes, sir!'', the three Ōu soldiers said before leading the group of dogs and the single wolf around the massive pile of rocks, making sure they would have enough food and water for the rest of the day. After all they hadn't eaten well in quite some time.


	13. Chapter 12

''So it's a large pack of wolves, not sure how many soldiers they have but probably over three hundred, just like Ōu does. After all, if they hadn't that many soldiers like us they probably wouldn't have threaten us yet like this. Their leader is Kenshi, their General is Kurai. What we do know about his followers is that there's one golden coated wolf who doesn't seem too bright, by the name of Hokori. Easy to trick but we shouldn't underestimate him; he seems insane. Some other followers of Kenshi are Kai Zai and Rai, three black coated wolves, all three with brown eyes; they're twins. They seem like good fighters, but most of all good stalkers and spies. We don't know anything about the other followers.'', Ken said as he stood in the circle, eyeing the other dogs one by one.  
>The wolves inside Gajou stared up at Ken as they listened carefully, taking in his words. War would probably soon be coming their way and they needed to be prepared; they needed to know more about their enemy. ''Our leader will now discuss with us what to do, who will spy and who will fight. We need good soldiers to protect Ōu but also good soldiers who will fight against these wolves outside the borders of Ōu, if war ever comes. We must be careful.''<br>With those last words Ken jumped from the rock in the middle, giving space for the young blue-silver coated tora-ge Akita Inu to jump on the rock and speak to his fellow dogs.  
>''I came back to Gajou as soon as I heard the news from Akame. I want to thank these dogs for showing their loyalty to Ōu and telling us about these wolves as soon quick as they possibly could. Hopefully the wolves haven't informed their General yet. If that's the case then we have enough time to think of a plan to defend ourselves but especially Gajou. Though…'', the Akita called Weed spoke as he looked the new dogs' way, staring at them with narrowed eyes. ''Can we really trust that one wolf outside? Yoru?''<br>''I'm not sure…'', Sam said, stepping forward a bit. He looked up at Weed, a submissive stance in his body language. ''I don't trust him, though.''

''Why can't Spencer and Benji be here at this meeting? Spencer protected us from that Kenshi by standing his ground, and Benji could be of use as well.'', Kagetora said, looking at Weed with his head tilted to the side a bit, a questioning look in his eyes.  
>''Because they're kids. They're too young to fight. I don't want them to end up in this way because it would only damage them.'', Weed spoke and Gin cleared his throat. The two looked at each other, sharing glances, before Gin spoke.<br>''I know your intentions on keeping them out are good, Weed, you mean no harm to those kids. But do you remember you were a kid as well when you ended up in a war. You even ended up leading them. If we can revive Riki's old platoon idea for Ōu's soldiers and add that strategy to our fight, maybe one of them could become a platoon leader. You never know.'', Gin said and Weed nodded. The young leader wanted to say something, but Gin cut him off by speaking again, a serious look in his blue eyes. ''We can't keep them out of this discussion. They might still be kids and shouldn't be thrown in a war, yes, but they must be prepared for a war to come. They must know what we are up to, so they can defend themselves when the time comes.''  
>''Gin is right. We should let those two back in.'', one of the dogs yelled from the back. Gin looked their way, head tilted to the side a bit.<br>''Only the two of them? What about Yoru?'', William asked, sitting down and looking up at Weed. ''He's a wolf, yes, but he's part of us. Or did ya forget about him helping us?''  
>''How did he help you?'', Weed asked, his eyes narrowed slightly as he waited for the pug's answer. His tail was curled over his back, his coat was becoming thicker; it was starting to become autumn and colder, winter was coming their way slowly.<br>''He hunted food for us and he taught us how to hunt ourselves. We can't hunt big prey yet, but he taught us how to hunt small prey like mice and hares, and rabbits. And he's rather sleek and mute, and silent. He can be of use as a spy or a hunter for the pack. After all he's a wolf, so if he's really on our side then he will spy for us.'', the small dog spoke and Weed nodded understanding.  
>''Fair enough. Bring the two yearlings and the wolf in, I want to speak to them as well. Tesshin, go get them for me, please.'', Weed said, looking into the crowd. One of the dogs nodded and went out, a male Shinobi dog.<p>

''Oh look how beautiful the sky is today! Oh, and there is a butterfly!'', Spencer said excitedly as he jumped up and down. He stood in the grass running around in circles while behind him near the entrance of Gajou Yoru chewed on a branch, laying there peacefully. On the other side of the entrance, the left said, laid the young Akita Inu, Benji, an annoyed look in his green eyes as he rested his head on his paws. ''Benji, come on, come play with me! Let's chase the butterfly!'', Spencer said again and he turned his head to look at the yearling, but when no response came from the Akita Spencer looked worried and moved over to him. ''Are you okay? Why won't you come and play?''  
>''Because I don't want to…'', Benji muttered, turning his head slightly so he wouldn't have to look at the German Shepherd yearling; instead he stared at one of the rocks which made Gajou stable.<br>''W-why not…?'', Spencer asked, he pressed his ears against his skull as he nudged Benji with his muzzle, but all he got as a response was a growl. ''Benji…?''  
>''I could have been dead today, and to make it all worse an army of wolves might attack us, and they don't let us inside Gajou to speak to the leader about the situation… How can you think about playing right now when so much has happened today!?''<br>''I'm just trying to cheer you up…'', the German Shepherd spoke, a thudding sound caught both the yearlings' attention and they turned to look at Yoru who was poking a stone in front of them with the branch he was holding between his jaws. he looked at the two kids with a bored look in his eyes, but he sure seemed to want them to shut up and mind their own business now. at least, Spencer thought that was his intention, why he had caught their attention.

''Benji, Spencer, Yoru; our leader wants to speak to you. You can enter Gajou and join the meeting.'', a voice suddenly spoke and they looked up to see a male Shinobi dog; he had a dark coat with a cream muzzle, chest and belly, as well as his legs and paws. He had dark spots all over his body and stripes on his face, just below his brown eyes.  
>''Who are you?'', Spencer asked and the dog walked over to them, a serious look on his face. He started pushing Spencer towards the entrance of Gajou. In the meantime Benji and Yoru stood up, Yoru tossing his branch away, and followed obediently. ''I'm Tesshin, one of Ōu's soldiers. Now go inside, we're all waiting for you guys.''<br>''O-okay.'', Spencer responded and a bright smile crept on his face. He started to run, causing Tesshin who had been pushing him to stumble and fall on the ground. Spencer laughed at him and ran into Gajou, leaving the dog to grumble in annoyance and slowly get to his paws, running after them.  
>''They're waiting for you in the heart of Gajou, follow me. There are a few paths going through Gajou and since you haven't been here before I will have to lead you there, otherwise you might get lost.'', Tesshin said as he ran past the three, stepping in front of them. He lead them through the tunnels towards all the dogs that waited for them; it almost looked like a complete maze. ''Leader, I brought the three.''<br>''that's great Tesshin, let them step forward.'', Weed spoke as he looked down at the two dogs and the wolf. ''Welcome to Gajou, I assume you're here to stay with Ōu?''

''Yeah, we came all the way here to join Ōu. We wanted to become a wild dog like you were, we wanted to meet you and Gin.'', Spencer said, wagging his tail happily. He was once again excited because he was now looking at his biggest hero. ''We're so happy to be here!''  
>''Yeah, you probably are…'', Weed responded, looking at the German Shepherd mix with a worried look in his blue eyes. ''However, there might be a war coming our way. We have to make a plan in order to defend Gajou. And since you brought the news about the army of wolves together with the others, we give you a chance to be our soldiers, as well.''<br>''Ōu's soldiers? Me? Really!?'', Spencer yipped happily and Weed sighed in irritation, growling at the yearling, causing him to shut up and stare at him in confusion.  
>''Listen! We need to have a plan in case the wolves really come our way with bad intentions!'', Weed spoke, looking at Gin for a moment before speaking again, this time face directed at the crowd again, his head held high. ''We will put my grandfather's plan in action again; Riki's plan for platoons. However, I will change the platoons slightly. There will no longer be twelve platoons but only four; one for north, one for east, one for south and one for west.''<br>''But, how are we going to do this? I mean, who are you going to assign for the job as platoon leader? Who will be part of which platoon?'', GB asked, sitting down and curling his tail around his body. He seemed confused but still rather relaxed; after all they seemed to have some sort of plan beginning to unfold.  
>''My father and I will assign the platoon leaders, because my father is still our General, after all.'', Weed said, before looking at Ben, a Great Dane just like Ken, ken's father. ''You're old, Ben, but still a great fighter. I want you to be the leader of platoon number one, north.''<br>''Me? Platoon leader again? I've missed those old days.'', the Great Dane said, grinning at his words. ''Count me in, leader, I will make you proud~''

''Now that we've chosen the leader for the first platoon, I would like to assign Akame as leader of the second platoon, east. Tesshin will be your advisor and helper in times of need.'', Gin said, jumping on the rock to join his son. He looked at the Kishu dog who nodded, smiling. The dog didn't say anything though; he agreed on the choice, so he didn't have to say anything more in response. Gin looked at Weed, wanting his son to assign the leader for the third platoon. ''Choose, leader. I know you will choose wise.''  
>''Okay,'' Weed spoke, lifting his head as he glanced around the crowd of dogs. ''For the third platoon I want to assign as leader… Kurotora, south. Kagetora, you're your father's advisor and helper. The same goes for you, Ken; you're Ben's advisor and helper. As for the fourth platoon leader, I would like to assign Kyos-''<br>''Spencer, you're the fourth platoon's leader.'', Gin cut Weed off, causing a riot in Gajou's heart; none of the dogs seemed satisfied with Gin's answer. Not even Weed agreed with him. He stared at Gin with big eyes before growling loudly.  
>''Why not Kyoshiro? Why that yearling? He can't be a platoon leader, he knows nothing of fighting!'', Weed yelled angrily but Gin looked away from his son, staring down at Spencer who looked up at the older Akita Inu with wide eyes, his body trembled slightly by the sudden adrenaline and shock.<br>''I choose Spencer, and Benji, you will be his advisor and helper. To make sure the platoon acts well, we will soon assign an advisor for you two, an adult.'', Gin said and Weed looked now even more confused, not understanding why his father didn't choose an advisor right now. ''Why not assign an advisor? What are you planning? What are you planning, father!?''  
>Gin didn't look at Weed as he spoke, staring at the walls of Gajou like his mind was somewhere else, his tail curled over his back, a calm expression on his eyes like his son's words didn't bother him.<p>

''An advisor will be assigned soon.'', he spoke softly, yet steady, loud enough for everyone to hear. ''They're coming our way, I can feel it; it friends and new friends. I will assign one of them as the advisor for the fourth platoon. As for the other dogs, you can either join one of the four different platoons. I want to assign William the pug and Yoru the wolf as our special spies.''  
>Again there was a riot, dogs yelling as they disagreed. One of the dogs in the crowd spoke, his eyes focused on Gin. ''You trust the wolf well enough?''<br>''He was banished by his pack for useless reasons. He joined the dogs instead to live, I don't trust him but now that he's part of Ōu he must follow our orders and be loyal to us, not the wolves.'', Gin responded and he looked with a calm expression at the wolf, yet his posture held tension. ''If only he could talk, he could have told us more about these wolves, but that isn't the case… I want them to spy on the wolves. Yoru is mute and sleek, he can easily stalk and his muteness gives him the advantage in this job. As for William; he's small so he can easily hide. And small dogs mostly aren't seen as a threat, so the wolves will spare him because they don't see him as a danger.''  
>''But why Spencer as a platoon leader? He's still so young…'', Weed asked, whispering in his father's ear. Gin looked at his son finally and rested his lips close near Weed's ear, whispering back: ''He reminds me of you, young but fierce and one of justice. He might become a great platoon leader with some practice. I mean, you made it, too, didn't you? And now you're leader of Ōu, that's a great honor.''<br>Gin pulled back and winked at his son before looking back at the crowd of dogs, speaking up again. ''We have over three hundred soldiers, probably just as much as the wolves will have. We will divide us all over the four platoons, around seventy to eighty dogs for each platoon, got it? Discuss with each other what platoon to follow. This meeting is dismissed now, go mind your own business.''

With those words Gin jumped from the rock and with a lot of yelling and disagreement from his fellow dogs he left Gajou to go outside. Weed sighed and jumped down the rock as well, following his father. He heard paw steps behind him and turned his head to see an excited Spencer coming his way.  
>''Weed! Weed! Now that we finally meet, I have so many questions to ask you!'', he said and Weed sighed once more, this time in irritation. ''Weed?''<br>''I don't know why my father assigned you as the fourth platoon leader. Well, he actually told me why but I don't stand the idea.'', Weed said as he turned around to face the kid, their noses almost touching, his blue eyes narrowed as he had an angry expression on his face. ''You better be a good platoon leader and help us defend Gajou against the wolves, actually fight in this war, if you want to keep me pleased, got it? Now go and leave me alone, scram.''  
>Weed turned back around, following his father out of Gajou. Spencer stood there with a dazed expression, staring at Weed with his ears pressed against his head and his tail tucked between his legs. This wasn't the Weed his mother had often told him about. What had happened to the awesome leader with the golden heart and the feeling for fair justice Spencer had always heard about?<p> 


End file.
